The drama of the Champions League got even better on Wednesday as Tottenham stunned Ajax with a second-half comeback to reach the final, with Lucas Moura capping off a hat-trick with a 96th-minute winner.
Mauricio Pochettino’s side looked down and out after falling behind 2-0 in the first half, but for the second straight night an English team needing three goals in the second half to advance to the final achieved the feat.
Here’s a look at how Pochettino pulled it off.
KEY STATS
Goals – 3
Shots – 24
Shots on target – 7
Possession – 60%
Passing Accuracy – 80%
Chances created – 19
30-SECOND REPORT
With Son Heung-min returning, Pochettino fielded an attacking lineup, with Christian Eriksen, Dele Alli, Moura, and the Korean all in the XI. It was the exact same XI that survived the second leg of the quarter-final against Manchester City.
Yet Spurs looked lost at sea in the first half as Ajax were playing them off the park on the way to a two-goal lead. Pochettino intervened at half-time, and Spurs turned the game on its head, before winning in dramatic circumstances.
TACTICAL TALKING POINT
In-game substitutions do the trick
Pochettino was perhaps forced into one substitution, with Victor Wanyama picking up an injury in the first half, but choosing to bring on Fernando Llorente instead of, say, Eric Dier was an attacking decision that reaped rewards.
But his boldness didn’t end there. Spurs played the final 15 minutes or so with Eriksen as the lone midfielder, with Moussa Sissoko moving over to right-back after Kieran Trippier was taken off for forward Erik Lamela. The decision to go all-out for the win worked perfectly.
"Thank you football. Thank you my players, they are heroes."
— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) May 8, 2019
"Without football it is impossible to live."
No, thank you 🙏
Mauricio Pochettino cries during his post-match interview with @DesKellyBTS.
This means everything to him... pic.twitter.com/ArpQwwnwDH
VERDICT
What a run it’s been for Tottenham. On matchday four of the group stage, they were trailing 1-0 at home to PSV Eindhoven and crashing out of the Champions League. They turned it around, beat Inter Milan, got a draw against Barcelona – thanks to a late goal from Moura – outclassed Borussia Dortmund, had that madcap quarter-final against Manchester City, and now this.
Pochettino has been working wonders with this team – they’ve made no transfers this season, remember – but this was his finest moment yet.
RATING – 9/10
