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On Tuesday, we saw Liverpool complete an incredible comeback vs Barcelona. Yesterday, it was Tottenham Hotspur who kept on with the trend of comebacks in UEFA Champions League this season.
Ajax came into this match with a 1-0 lead from the first leg. Erik Ten Hag’s men got off to a flying start at The Johan Cruyff Arena when De Ligt gave them a lead as early as the 5th minute. Hakim Ziyech doubled their lead in the 35th minute as Ajax were looking to cruise into the finals after over two decades.
Time was against Mauricio Pochettino’s men as they had to score three goals in a span of 45 minutes. With a robust Lucas Moura and Fernando Llorente up front, Pochettino decided to switch to long balls. Spurs were not in a mood to give up as Alli sprinted his heart out on the counter before placing it for Moura who made it 2-1. Four minutes later, Onana saved a brilliant shot from Llorente, but Ajax failed to clear the lines as Lucas Moura latched onto the loose ball to make it 2-2.
Ziyech and Vertonghen had hit the post for the hosts and the visitors respectively but the drama unfolded in the 96th minute. A long ball from the defence was put down by Son into Alli’s path who stroke it forward and Moura kept his nerve to complete his hat-trick as Spurs completed the comeback.
It is clear that even after losing the first leg at home, Tottenham believed that they can come back to win the tie. They must have got inspiration from the comebacks in the recent UCL history. Let us take a look at 3 comebacks that inspired Tottenham Hotspur against Ajax Amsterdam.
#3 Manchester United vs. PSG:
When PSG were drawn against Manchester United, even the most optimistic fan could not think that a broken Manchester United would beat the likes of Neymar, Mbappe and Di Maria. After a 2-0 loss at the hands of the Parisian Giants at Old Trafford, Solksjaer admitted that he had a mountain to climb but it was not impossible.
Fast forward two weeks, Manchester United came out inspired as they believed that they can beat PSG. The final score at Parc De Princes stood at 3-1 as Manchester United had done the impossible.
A comeback for a team without Martial, Lingard, Pogba in the heart of Paris was deemed as an impossible task by football pundits but Solksjaer and his boys kept their nerves strong to see it through. In a rainy night, Lukaku combined with Rashford brilliantly to take the early lead after Juan Bernat made it level within 12 minutes.
A howler by Buffon saw the Red Devils lead by 2-1 as Lukaku scored his and his team’s second. It was a close match but a handball by Kimpembe gave a penalty to the visitors. Marcus Rashford made no mistake to make it 3-1 and lift Manchester United to the quarters.
#2 Roma vs. Barcelona
The celebrations by Roma fans went on and on throughout the whole night as Roma had made history. The Catalan giants entered the match as clear favorites to qualify for the next round as Suarez and Pique netted four for La Blaugrana at Nou Camp. The match started at a good pace but Edin Dzeko drew the first blood as he slotted past Ter Stegen at the sixth minute. Roma fans had optimism throughout the buildup of the match and the goal triggered them.
The real question was whether Roma would tire out after a hard-working first half which saw valiant efforts and easy chances being missed. The clock was their enemy as they searched for another goal to resume the tie. They got their chance in the 55th minute when Dzeko was fouled by Pique inside the box. The veteran midfielder, Daniel De Rossi coolly slotted the ball past Ter Stegen but the show was yet to be over.
After repeated forward plays and countless attacks, Roma’s wait was over at the 82nd minute. A looping ball was sent inside the box from the corner by Alexander Kolarov which was met by Kostas Manolas in the box. The Roma team was jubilant and the bench, as well as their coaching staff, was on the field. For Roma and its fans, it was a memory for the lifetime.
#1 Ajax Amsterdam vs. Real Madrid
This match was the end of an era as Real Madrid was knocked out from the last 16. Real Madrid won by 2-1 in the first leg which saw Sergio Ramos allegedly getting a second yellow card to miss the next tie.
The tie was considered to be over in the first leg as it was deemed impossible for a young and inexperienced side like Ajax to overcome the champions in the second leg. But the valiant Ajax side fought with courage to see it through. Ajax were right into the game within 18 minutes as they were handed an early lead by Hakim Ziyech before Tadic set up David Neres for a second.
After the break, Ajax came back with new zeal as Tadic swept a brilliant goal at the hour’s mark. Lassa Schone capped the victory with a sweet free-kick over Thibaut Courtois as Ajax finished the tie as the score was 4-1 on the night and 5-3 on aggregate. The Amsterdam club reached the quarter-finals of the Champions League for the first time since 2003.
