Ajax‘s magical Champions League run came to an end in heartbreaking fashion on Wednesday, as a 95th-minute winner from Tottenham‘s Lucas Moura stunned the Dutch side in the second leg of the semi-final – which Ajax had at one point led 2-0.
That fast start had put the Eredivisie leaders three goals up on aggregate, but that lead was wiped out in the second half as Erik ten Hag’s side succumbed to Tottenham’s relentless pressure.
Here’s a closer look at how it all went wrong for Ten Hag and Ajax.
KEY STATS
Goals – 2
Shots – 16
Shots on target – 4
Possession – 40%
Passing accuracy – 73%
Chances created – 16
30-SECOND REPORT
Ten Hag was forced into making a late change to his starting XI as winger David Neres pulled up in the pre-match warm-up, with the manager choosing to insert striker Kasper Dolberg into the line-up instead.
Though that meant a reshuffle as Dusan Tadic was moved out to the left wing from his usual false nine position, it didn’t seem to cost Ajax much as they raced out to a 2-0 lead. But it all came crashing down in the second half as they lost their rhythm and attacking verve.
TACTICAL TALKING POINT
Stick or twist indecision costs Ten Hag and Ajax
As Spurs took control of the game in the second half, Ten Hag faced a difficult choice: abandon the attacking mentality that had gotten his side this far, or keep playing to his team’s strengths?
He ended up not doing either. Right-back Joel Veltman came on for midfielder Lasse Schone, with starting right-back Noussair Mazraoui moving into midfield, the position he played before this season, while midfielder Daley Sinkgraven came on for the lacklustre Dolberg.
But the substitutions signalled a retreat from Ajax – and the Spurs pressure eventually told.
"As a coach, there are matches where we don't play, there are matches where we play very bad but there are matches where we play very well and Ajax in the 2nd half needed him to play very well and he played like his team:not very well."
— beIN SPORTS (@beINSPORTS) May 8, 2019
Mourinho on Erik ten Hag😳#beINMourinho pic.twitter.com/Ntwj0I1Wk5
VERDICT
This result is so heartbreakingly harsh on Ten Hag and his side. They were seconds away from a thoroughly deserved Champions League final appearance, after they knocked out Real Madrid and Juventus to get here.
Ten Hag may perhaps rue his team’s inexperience. No one in the Ajax side knew how to calm the game down when Tottenham were building up a head of steam – though all the experience in the world didn’t help Barcelona in a similar situation on Tuesday. In the end, his own second-half tactics probably cost Ajax.
RATING – 6/10
