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We yet again witnessed a phenomenal game of football, but this time, the boys from the Netherlands could not come up big like they often did this season. Not many saw this coming and Ajax were left stunned to the core. Champions League football never disappoints, does it?
Mauricio Pochettino and Spurs have been on a different level this season. They have been shaky as their league run suggests, but European nights for Tottenham fans have been nothing short of incredible. A historic win against Man City and there they go, coming from three goals down to win the game 3-3 on away goals at the Johan Cruyff Arena.
First Liverpool, and now Tottenham. The English teams are on a rollercoaster ride this season. Both sides meet in the final at Madrid after being on the losing ends in the first leg of the semis, as they complete incredible comebacks against two of the best teams in Europe this season.
Below are 3 conclusions from Tottenham's unbelievable victory over Ajax:
#3 Mauricio Pochettino is a mastermind
Poch is an absolute mastermind. He set up his team incredibly well to face Ajax yesterday night, and if the away side had taken their chances earlier, they could have killed the game before the one hour mark.
The pace of Son and Lucas Moura tremendously helped Tottenham's cause, and Eriksen started playing as a false nine but soon dropped back as a deep-lying playmaker. Ajax's defenders were spread all across the field and they felt the pressure after Moura's first goal in the 55th minute.
What makes Poch so good is that he read the situation with immense calmness after the first half. Spurs were 3 goals down, and then he made significant changes, one of them was asking Heung-min Son to play a deeper role, which helped Tottenham hamper Ajax's stability in their back four.
Without the necessary funds and the pressure of building a new stadium, Pochettino outclassed his critics with ease and took his team to a maiden UCL final. The fans would be sad to see Pochettino not win a trophy this season, as the manager has delivered some amazing European nights for the them.
Son and Moura dragged their markers out of position plenty of times, and their blistering pace helped him get past Ajax's defenders quite a lot of times, but the Korean did not enjoy his best time in front of the goal. He missed a couple of chances and the 26-year-old got 4 of his shots on goal blocked by the defenders. However, he still played a key part in the win, despite not contributing in terms of goals and assists.
The players believed they could generate a comeback, and Lucas Moura provided them with hope in the 55th minute. Since then, it was all downhill for Ajax.
#2 Two eye-watering wins without Harry Kane
First Man City, and now Ajax. Two of Europe's best defensive sides and equally good attacking threats, and guess what? Tottenham beat them both without their talisman Harry Kane, which tells us how significant Lucas Moura and Son have been for the Lillywhites.
Spurs fought their way past Man City on away goals and they completed a thrilling comeback after being 3-0 down on aggregate at half time against Ajax in the return leg. They believed, and they achieved it.
Harry Kane, Tottenham's top scorer this season, was injured and sidelined for the games against Man City and Ajax due to an ankle injury. It's obvious that Tottenham are a better side with Harry Kane, but not once did the players or the fans miss him. The striking force of Son Heung Min, Dele Alli and Lucas Moura have taken up the job and proved to be immense for Spurs, and the management would like to tie them up with the club before big European clubs come in with healthy offers for the trio, especially Son.
#1 Ajax's dreams are destroyed
It happened to Monaco a couple of years back, and now it has happened to Ajax. A brilliant team led by one of the best managers this season, Erik ten Hag, Ajax have shown us that football is not won by money. Of course, it helps in the long term, but what makes you a strong competitor is the will to fight till the end, to believe in yourself and your teammates, and to trust the process.
Erik ten Hag defeated the likes of Real Madrid and Juventus, two of the best sides in Europe, and nearly reached the finals of the Champions League 2019, but Poch's men had different plans. A year like this won't probably return to Amsterdam anytime soon, as Ajax's star players in De Jong, De Ligt, Ziyech, Neres, Van De Beek, Onana, etc are likely to leave for bigger clubs in pursuit of better contracts and new challenges.
This generation is likely to never play with each other again, and therefore, let's take out a minute and thank the young boys for lighting this competition up with their unreal firepower. This is the UEFA Champions League for you!
