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Yet another Champions League night to savor as Lucas Moura lead Tottenham past a vibrant Ajax side, who were rattled by the sheer will of Tottenham, as the London side book their spot in the final. Everyone at the Johan Cryuff Arena was left absolutely stunned by the turn of events that took place in the second half.
Tottenham played a sub-par first half and whilst they weren't entirely bad, Ajax looked far more likely to be the side that progresses to the final at the Wanda Metropolitano in June.
They were far quicker into every duel, be it on the ground or in the air, and Tottenham's poor marking on set pieces was taken full advantage of by Matthis De Ligt, Ajax's teenage Captain. The young Dutchman was on hand to tap in a fine delivery in the area as Trippier of all people was given the task of marking the opposition's biggest threat in the air.
Trippier was at fault for the second goal as well, making a complete mess of an ariel duel against Tadic, who slipped away with the ball and found an unmarked Hakim Ziyech at the edge of the box.
The Morrocan winger made no mistake firing a superb finish past Hugo Lloris. As the referee blew the half-time whistle Tottenham fans in the stadium and at home did not have much hope and were starting to console themselves with being one of the best, but Mauricio Pochettinho had other ideas.
The Argentine manager sent on Fernando Llorente for Victor Wanyama, and Tottenham flanked the big Spaniard with Son and Lucas Moura, playing it up high for the big man to knock down and play from there.
It was old school, but against an inexperienced Ajax side, who had the onus on them to progress, the Premier League side took full advantage. Lucas Moura fired two goals past a helpless Onana as Tottenham turned on the style against Erik Ten Hag's men.
Lucas Moura came up with the biggest goal of his career in the fifth minute of stoppage time and left Ajax players and fans in tears. Here are some observations from yet another astounding night of Champions League football.
#1 Mauricio Pochettino masterminds a comeback for the ages
The last two nights of Champions League football has been by far the most soul-draining 180 minutes most football fans have seen in quite a while. These two spectacular semi-final ties more than lived up to their billing and were the perfect visual representation of why Football is known as 'The Beautiful Game'.
Just when you thought you'd seen it all as Divock Origi struck a superb finish past ter-Stegen to end Barcelona's journey, tonight turned out to be just as, if not more thrilling than last night's fixture. Spurs played like two different teams in the first and second half of the contest, and against all odds, beat Ajax at the Johan Cryuff Arena.
Pochettino has exhibited once again what a truly amazing manager he is, understanding the need of the game and sending Llorente on in the second half, who changed the game and caused the Ajax defense to panic. Imagine what this man could do at a club with the financial resources to fully back his vision.
#2 Ajax's stars show they're ready for the next step
The exciting Dutch outfit is playing football reminiscent of the time when the man after whom their stadium is named was in charge of affairs around the club. They fear absolutely no one and have shown time and time again this year that they are capable of beating the very best of sides. Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, and Juventus can all vouch for that, but behind this spectacular turn of events is a crux of young players who are stamping their worth on the biggest stage of them all.
Matthis De Ligt, the 19-year-old Captain, along with Donny Van de Beek, Frenkie De Jong, David Neres, Andre Onana, and Hakim Ziyech are the young architects crucial to the glorious road that Ajax paved for themselves in their stupendous Champions League run on.
They were supported by the old heads of Dusan Tadic and Lasse Schone, but these young men have shown this season that they are more than ready to play a significant role in any of Europe's elite clubs. It's just a matter of time now that this beautiful side is torn apart as top bidders from around the World would want to scoop these gems up before their price goes up further.
#3 Dele Alli delivered when it mattered the most
Dele Alli was probably the only Tottenham player other than Son who looked a threat to Ajax in the first half, and his grit and determination helped his side get themselves within touching distance of European Glory and lifting the Champions League trophy for the first time in the club's history.
His a classy link-up play with Eriksen, Son and Moura in the second half were crucial, as he was the mostly the link between Llorente and the two speedsters. Alli has seen a lot of criticism since the World Cup Semis, and he himself has admitted he has not hit the levels he has in previous years for the club as well.
Tonight was a different case altogether though, as he was anointed as the unspoken chief instigator of attacks, and he wreaked havoc in and around the Ajax penalty area. The young Englishman has only had a hand in a measly 8 goals before tonight, but the two he did provide tonight will probably live the longest in his memory.
#4 Lucas Moura has etched his name in Spurs Folklore
Tonight's result was in no way a one-man show as Tottenham clawed their way back with everything they had as a unit. Their effort proved more valiant than Ajax's, who fell just short of booking a successful spot in a Champions League final since more than 2 decades.
But tonight, one man shone brighter than the rest, mostly in the all crucial second half, as Lucas Moura tore apart Ajax's back line and dragged Spurs back into the tie with two quick goals in first 15 of the second half. His second goal was all him, as his shot came with his back towards the goal, from his wrong foot all while being marked by 3 defenders.
Lucas Moura may not have lived up to the hype that was expected of him when he moved from Sao Paulo to PSG, but he sure is a bloody incredible talent, dragging his side to the final of Europe's, nay, the World's best football competition.
#5 Life is empty without football
What the Champions League has made abundantly clear over the past couple of nights is that we are witnessing a truly magical year in the sport. The things that have happened in the past 72 hours, one could not have imagined even in his wildest of dreams.
Yesterday, it was a Barcelona - Ajax final for more than half the footballing world but we have witnessed English football making a mesmerising comeback to the grandest stage of them all. We have seen players who we'd never have thought would get here make telling contributions in crunch moments and the grand finale is yet to come.
Football, as we all know, originated from England, and 1 June will mark only the second time ever in the history of Champions League football that two English sides face off in the final, the only other time being when Ronaldo's United beat Chelsea a little more than a decade ago. It could also be a rare Europa League moment as well, with Chelsea and Arsenal both looking probable to qualify for the final over Frankfurt and Valencia respectively.
