Ajax 2-3 Tottenham: The tale of Spurs' Champions League comeback

The Champions League is at its best when it produces the most ridiculous and improbable storylines. Both were found in abundance when Tottenham Hotspur battled Ajax in the 2018/19 semi-finals.

Sat on the brink of European heartbreak, Spurs stunned the whole continent from 3-0 down on aggregate to steal a place in Madrid's final thanks to Lucas Moura's iconic hat-trick.

On the anniversary of one of the most ridiculous games in Champions League history, here's how Tottenham achieved the impossible against Erik ten Hag's talented and young Ajax side.

The bigger picture

Both Tottenham and Ajax's routes to the semi-finals in 2018/19 were unexpected and involved a fair bit of odds-defying.

Spurs went winless in their first three group-stage games before scraping through on the final day, while Ajax were able to secure wins against lower quality opposition in AEK Athens and Benfica alongside draws with Bayern Munich.

The last 16 proved to be the only stage of the competition in which Tottenham avoided a major scare, surging into a 3-0 first-leg lead over Borussia Dortmund before completing the job with a more slender 1-0 victory in Germany.

Ajax had perennial UCL winners Real Madrid to overcome in the round of 16 and, after a disheartening 2-1 home defeat, stormed into the last eight as Hakim Ziyech, David Neres, Dusan Tadic and Lasse Schone all scored in a display of liquid football at the Bernabeu.

Spurs were the benefactors from the old away-goal rule in the quarter-finals, pipping Manchester City to a semi-final berth after a ridiculous 4-3 defeat at the Etihad Stadium which saw a late Raheem Sterling effort chalked off for offside.

Ajax also conjured up more away day magic despite falling 2-1 behind on aggregate to Juventus when Cristiano Ronaldo headed in. Donny van de Beek and Matthijs de Ligt bagged at the Allianz Stadium to send Ten Hag's squad through to the final four.

From a pre-match form perspective, Spurs' hopes looked bleak. Mauricio Pochettino's side were just about clinging onto a top-four spot after three consecutive defeats in the Premier League, while Ajax were closing in on the Eredivisie title despite strong competition from rivals PSV Eindhoven.

Tottenham and Ajax's routes to the semi-finals

The semi-final

Having seen Ajax school a number of Europe's top dogs beforehand, Tottenham were taught a lesson or two during the first leg as Van de Beek's 15th-minute strike proved the difference in north London.

Spurs were without both key forwards in Harry Kane and Son Heung-min due to injury, while the likes of Andre Onana, De Ligt and Frenkie de Jong were all present in the starting XI for the visiting Dutch outfit.

That defeat set the scene for the return leg in Amsterdam, with Tottenham needing to attack to stand any chance of reaching Madrid's showpiece finale.

The second leg

Spurs at least managed to welcome Son back into their starting lineup for the return trip to the Netherlands, with the current-day captain starting on the left wing with Lucas located in the middle.

With a 1-0 deficit to overturn, Pochettino watched on as his side made the worst possible start to their improbable comeback. In just the fifth minute, Schone's corner was met by man-baby De Ligt who powered a header beyond the helpless Hugo Lloris.

Son hit the woodwork a minute later and the visitors did muster a few shots on target in response, but the improbable started looking impossible when Ajax made it 2-0 on the night and 3-0 on aggregate. Kieran Trippier was caught floundering and Tadic quickly teed up Ziyech, who struck sweetly into the far corner.

That should have been curtains for Tottenham's hopes of reaching a first ever Champions League final. But this is football...

The comeback

Pochettino turned to Fernando Llorente off the bench and the Spaniard immediately began occupying De Ligt and Daley Blind and freeing up space for the likes of Lucas, Dele and Son. Five minutes before the hour mark, Spurs had pulled one back.

Danny Rose clipped a pass forward and Lucas and Dele combined sharply, the former eventually running onto the latter's touch to squirm a finish beyond Andre Onana.

If the heads of the home side had gone, Tottenham's second goal encapsulated that ultimately fatal shift in mentality to bring themselves within a goal of reaching Madrid's showpiece. Onana somehow denied Llorente from point-blank range but then dived at Schone's feet, helping the ball break to Lucas. The mercurial winger had to dribble towards the penalty spot with lightning-quick feet before arrowing a shot through De Jong's legs and past Onana.

Those two strikes arrived within five minutes, leaving the Lilywhites with over half an hour to get the third effort that would see them qualify on away goals.

Both teams would hit the woodwork in pursuit of the night's fifth goal as Ziyech and Jan Vertonghen came close. Despite Ajax appearing increasingly frail in defence, it looked like Tottenham had exhausted all their options as second-half injury time dragged on.

Instead, one of the most glorious moments in the club's history was conjured up as Lucas completed a truly career-defining hat-trick.

Moussa Sissoko's punt, Llorente's bunt, Dele's flick, Lucas' strike...

The scenes

Once Erik Lamela was done doing ball-rolls and flicks to protect Tottenham's lead, the away end and dugout exploded into life. Kane sprinted onto the pitch, Pochettino was down on his haunches with tears in his eyes and Eric Dier was bear-hugging every poor soul in sight.

On the other side, De Jong lay on his back with his arms covering his eyes, Tadic crouched down in disbelief and Ten Hag appeared frozen by the shock of his team's capitulation.

Tottenham's squad were hardly in a rush to get off the Johan Cruyff Arena turf, either. Every player was serenaded and the coaches got their flowers, too. Left-back Rose even enjoyed a bottle of Heineken - other lager beers are available.

From the absolute pits of despair, Spurs somehow defeated the odds with every onlooker hoping Ajax would reach the final. They couldn't complete the job in Madrid against Premier League rivals Liverpool, but the semi-final second leg remains etched into Tottenham folklore as an example of the team at both its most infuriating and swashbuckling.

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