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Jonathan White

Hong Kong football fans will not get to see Dutch giants Ajax next month after the club pulled off an unexpected victory over Juventus in the Uefa Champions League.
Despite Cristiano Ronaldo putting the home side ahead, Ajax won 2-1 on the night and 3-2 on aggregate thanks to goals from Donny van de Beek and 19-year-old captain Matthijs de Ligt.
This has scrapped plans for a postseason trip to Hong Kong in May.
The Amsterdam team had been invited to play a friendly by Hong Kong Premier League side R&F in late May once their domestic campaign had ended. Ajax sit joint top of the Eredivisie with four games left, the last of which is on May 12.
The high-profile Hong Kong friendly was possible because Ajax have a partnership agreement with Chinese Super League side Guangzhou R&F, the parent team of the Hong Kong Premier League outfit.

However, the shock away win at the Allianz Stadium in Turin means the game is off.
Instead, Ajax will be contesting the semi-finals of the Champions League and have an eye on a return to their first final for 24 years.
Ajax’s reward for their against-the-odds second leg win will be to play the winner of the tie between Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur, which is decided on Wednesday night.

ABSOLUTE SCENES!!! #UCL #juvaja pic.twitter.com/XnmLWdy6Lj
— AFC Ajax (@AFCAjax) 16 April 2019

<![CDATA[// ><!]]>

The semi-finals will take place on Tuesday, April 30, and Wednesday, May 7, with the winner over the two legs advancing to the final at the Wanda Metropolitano Stadium in Madrid on June 1.
Ajax have lifted the European Cup four times, including three wins in a row in the mid 1970s.
They won it most recently in the 1994-95 season when Louis van Gaal’s young side beat defending champions AC Milan in Vienna.
Ajax failed to retain the trophy the following season when they lost in the final to Juventus. They have not reached the final since but were runners-up to Manchester United in the Europa League two seasons ago.

While Hong Kong football fans are not going to see this Ajax team, they are not going to be short of European teams to watch.
A game between a Hong Kong Premier League side and Manchester City is pencilled in for Hong Kong Stadium on July 21 as part of the English side’s preseason preparations.
Pep Guardiola’s team will pass through Hong Kong on their way to contest the Premier League Asia Trophy in Nanjing and Shanghai.

Matthijs de Ligt:
—19 years old
—Youngest captain in UCL knockout history
—Scored the goal that sent Ajax to the semi-finals
19 years old. pic.twitter.com/o9t2WGYlHf
— B/R Football (@brfootball) 17 April 2019

<![CDATA[// ><!]]>

The English Premier League champions last played in Hong Kong in 2013 when they won the Premier League Asia Trophy under Manuel Pellegrini.
City are one of a number of European clubs who will travel to the mainland for friendly games this summer, with some arriving on postseason rather than preseason tours.
Liverpool set for summer return to China as Jurgen Klopp’s men lined-up to face Super League champions Shanghai SIPG
German Bundesliga sides Wolfsburg and Eintracht Frankfurt will play at the Century Lotus Stadium in Foshan on May 24.
Bayern Munich will then play the China national team at Beijing’s National Stadium on May 29 in the Allianz China Cup.

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Uefa Champions League

Champions League win for Ajax over Cristiano Ronaldo’s Juventus means Hong Kong fans miss out

Ajax players celebrate victory over Juventus in the Uefa Champions League quarter-final. Photo: Xinhua

Liverpool FC captain Jordan Henderson holds up the trophy to celebrate after winning Premier League Asia Trophy in Hong Kong Stadium. 22JUL17 SCMP / Edward Wong

(190417) -- TURIN, April 17, 2019 (Xinhua) -- FC Juventus's Cristiano Ronaldo looks dejected during the UEFA Champions League quarterfinal second leg match between FC Juventus and Ajax in Turin, Italy, on April 16, 2019. Ajax won 2-1 and entered the semifinal with a total score of 3-2. (Xinhua/Alberto Lingria)

Liverpool set for summer return to China as Jurgen Klopp’s men lined-up to face Super League champions Shanghai SIPG

Liverpool players celebrate after beating Leicester City to claim the 2017 Premier League Asia Trophy in Hong Kong. Photo: AFP

Fans of Liverpool FC sing during the final match against Leicester City FC at the Premier League Asia Trophy soccer tournament in Hong Kong, Saturday, July 22, 2017. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)

Sport

Football

Dutch giants were to be invited by Hong Kong Premier League side R&F to play a friendly at the end of May
Amsterdam club could instead be playing for a fifth European crown in Madrid


Dutch giants were to be invited by Hong Kong Premier League side R&F to play a friendly at the end of May


Hong Kong Premier League

Cristiano Ronaldo

Champions League win for Ajax over Cristiano Ronaldo’s Juventus means Hong Kong fans miss out

.css-1mniedq{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;}Dutch giants were to be invited by Hong Kong Premier League side R&F to play a friendly at the end of May Amsterdam club could instead be playing for a fifth European crown in Madrid

Dutch giants were to be invited by Hong Kong Premier League side R&F to play a friendly at the end of May

Amsterdam club could instead be playing for a fifth European crown in Madrid