Tottenham should overturn a primary leg deficit on Wednesday evening in the event that they’re to advance into the Champions League quarter-finals at Milan’s expense.
Spurs have certified for the final eight of Europe’s premier membership competitors simply twice of their historical past, so victory and development will go a protracted strategy to lifting the temper in north London in what’s been a mightily irritating marketing campaign.
Plagued by inconsistency, Antonio Conte’s aspect have underwhelmed this time period after promising a lot with their summer season enterprise. New arrivals have not fairly settled, and their incapability to signal a high centre-back to enhance Cristian Romero has come again to chew them.
And regardless of struggling an inexcusable FA Cup exit by the hands of Sheffield United, Tottenham are nonetheless fairly well-placed to take pleasure in an honest marketing campaign. Nevertheless, they’ve work to do in the event that they’re to proceed on their European enterprise. Here’s a reminder of the final time Spurs overturned a primary leg deficit within the Champions League.
That evening in Amsterdam. It’s the best second in Tottenham’s fashionable historical past, however a contest that is now seemed again upon with a touch of melancholy given the whole lot that occurred within the aftermath.
Talk about Spursy, eh? Fans cannot even take pleasure in essentially the most unthinkable of comebacks to progress into the Champions League ultimate with out darkish clouds and the overbearing considered ‘what may’ve been’ manifesting.
But this was a really particular evening for everyone related to Tottenham Hotspur; when Lucas Moura etched his title into Spurs folklore for eternity. It was the Brazilian who impressed Mauricio Pochettino’s aspect over the road with a exceptional second-half hat-trick that completely no person foreshadowed.
Erik ten Hag’s babyfaced Ajax aspect had been in dreamland. After beautiful Europe’s aristocracy to succeed in the final 4, they took a 1-0 lead into their residence second leg due to Donny van de Beek’s early aim in north London.
The reverse fixture had all of the makings of a procession. The Dutch aspect performed with a verve and swagger that appeared to overwhelm the Premier League outfit, they usually raced right into a 2-0 half-time lead due to objectives from Matthijs de Ligt and Hakim Ziyech. The Moroccan’s strike was completely excellent, however Moura’s heroics imply it has been misplaced within the abyss.
Cannabis gross sales should’ve soared throughout that 15-minute interval, with Ajax supporters contained in the stadium meditating to Bob Marley’s ‘Don’t You Worry ’bout a Thing’ (they genuinely did). However, Lucas’ rampage started simply ten minutes into the second half earlier than he equalised on the evening following some dazzling footwork simply earlier than the hour. Game, from out of nowhere, on.
The nervous hosts held off Spurs’ resurgence proper till the final, spurning some golden alternatives of their very own, earlier than a hopeful punt upfield from Moussa Sissoko kickstarted a sequence that each Spurs fan on the planet can nonetheless recite as we speak. Fernando Llorente’s chest, Dele Alli’s flick, “here is Lucas Moura…OH, HE’S DONE IT!!!!”
Jermaine Jenas could not consider it, Fletch. Nor may the complete soccer world.
Ajax 2-3 Tottenham (2018/19 Champions League semi-final second leg) – Starting XIs
Ajax: Onana; Mazraoui, De Ligt, Blind, Tagliafico; De Jong, Schone (Veltman 60′); Ziyech, Van de Beek (Magallan 90′), Tadic; Dolberg (Sinkgraven 67′).
Tottenham: Lloris; Trippier (Lamela 81′), Alderweireld, Vertonghen, Rose (Davies 82′); Wanyama (Llorente 45′), Sissoko; Eriksen, Dele, Son; Lucas Moura.
The dreaded aftermath.
The 2019 Champions League ultimate was just about over proper after it begun. Spurs’ massive evening was compromised by a fairly harsh handball name a minute into the competition as Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah crashed residence the opener from the penalty spot.
It was a colorless affair wherein Poch’s aspect huffed and puffed with out creating a lot of any substance. Semi-final hero Lucas Moura had a few half-chances off the bench, however that was about it. Divock Origi then thrust the dagger into Spurs’ coronary heart by including a second late on as Liverpool lifted their sixth Champions League crown.
Pochettino’s Tottenham died in Madrid that evening, nevertheless it took a few months for the implications to manifest. Despite an energetic summer season, Poch was sacked in November 2019 after an detached begin to the 2019/20 season, paving manner for an alternate ‘win now’ strategy which is but to pay dividends.
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