AMSTERDAM (REUTERS) - Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Christian Eriksen said they threw tactics out the window and relied on grit and heart to come back from 3-0 down on aggregate to beat Ajax Amsterdam on away goals and reach the Champions League final on Wednesday (May 8).
Having lost the first leg in London 1-0, Tottenham got off to the worst possible start in Amsterdam by going 2-0 down on the night.
The second leg turned on its head after halftime, however, as Lucas Moura scored twice in quick succession before netting a 96th minute effort to complete his hat-trick and make it 3-3 on aggregate.
"It was a non-tactical performance, it was more of a fight, more of a heart performance, and that's how we won it," Danish playmaker Eriksen told BT Sport.
"It was a ridiculous game. We were really far down, we tried to fight back and we're just lucky. I feel sorry for Ajax, they played a very good game against us.
"In the end we're just lucky we scored. It's a relief, because we've been fighting for this and I think it's a dream for everyone to be in the Champions League final."
The midfielder revealed that there was no great tactical change at halftime as Spurs simply rolled up their sleeves and went at Ajax in the second half.
"We weren't able to look ourselves in the mirror if we (were to) go down three or four nil today - we had to fight back, there was no other option," Eriksen said.
After Liverpool fought back from a 3-0 first-leg defeat to beat Barcelona 4-3 on aggregate on Tuesday, the final will be an all-English affair.
LIVERPOOL INSPIRATION
Spurs defender Danny Rose said that he had taken inspiration from the Merseysiders.
Â
Â
Â
Â
"We saw Liverpool last night. It goes to show it's not over until it's over. Disappointed with the first leg, how we started and we started like that tonight. But after the break we came out," Rose said.
"The gaffer mentioned Liverpool's display at the hotel before the match - the gaffer doesn't mind us losing but we have to lose the right way."
Moura, however, was not prepared to let the match slip, and slotted the winner for Spurs deep in stoppage time.
"It's been a rollercoaster of a season. For him (Moura) to get us in the final, he'll be a hero. I hope he gets a statue in England after this ... I'm blown away, there's really no words for it," Eriksen said.
There was one major tactical shift that did play a crucial role in the victory, however. At half-time Pochettino took out midfielder Victor Wanyama and replaced him with Spanish forward Fernando Llorente.
Llorente, whose main asset is his height and strength in the air, placed himself on Ajax defender Daley Blind and that upset the solidity of the Dutch defence.
The Spaniard's presence caused confusion and created instability which Moura was able to exploit to the full.
With a big man as a focal point for the attack, Tottenham were able to take a more direct approach - with crosses from deep and in the latter stages, hopeful punts into the box.
Llorente would not have been on the field had Spurs' first choice striker Harry Kane been fit but the injured England captain was in the dressing room at the break and he said the focus was purely on effort.
"At half time we said it is 45 minutes to give everything... the lads dug deep, showed passion, showed character, showed heart and that is what it's all about," said Kane.
"Over the two legs we didn't play as well as we would have liked but we found a way to win," he added.
Former England and Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand, in Amsterdam as a pundit for BT Sport, said the Llorente introduction had been key.
"Fernando Llorente - what a substitution. He stood on Daley Blind. Blind couldn't deal with him and the boys came up behind him."
David Ospina receives treatment by paramedics after a head injury during the game. (AFP pic) MILAN: Napoli goalkeeper David Ospina has been discharged from hospital and is recovering from his
Napoli goalkeeper David Ospina out of hospital after head
Eric Harrison, the former youth team coach of Manchester United's 'Class of 92', which included David Beckham and Ryan Giggs, has died aged 81, the club announced on Thursday. Harrison, who helped forge the fledgling careers of Beckham, Giggs,
European football governing body UEFA said Friday that the correct anti-racism protocol had not been followed during the Italian league game between Inter Milan and Napoli midweek amid repeated abuse of Senegalese defender Kalidou Koulibaly. Napoli's French-born Koulibaly was targeted by monkey
UEFA says anti-racism protocol not followed in Koulibaly case
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola predicts his side will "suffer" against fourth-tier Newport County in their FA Cup fifth round match on Saturday but has urged his players to adapt to a
Football: Guardiola expects Man City to suffer in tricky FA
Real Madrid knocked out of Champions League by brilliant Ajax . After winning the last three titles in a row, Real Madrid humiliated by Dutch squad 4-1 at home.
Real Madrid 1-4 Ajax: Brilliant visitors knock out Champions
PUTRI NUR SYALIZA News - Find latest News & top stories about PUTRI NUR SYALIZA. ST Young Star Award: Queensway Secondary's history-maker Putri Nur Syaliza keeps feet firmly on ground.
14-year-old Secondary 3 girl scores goal in S'pore women's football
Does Lebron lack Mental Toughness? It seems to me that he has physical strength but lacks mental strength. The playoffs are really more of a mental challenge than a physical one, and I think lebron is mentally still a child, until he gets his head under control I don't think he's ever going to win a championship.
The Straits Times - Breaking News, Lifestyle & Multimedia News
Hammers pack a punch: Klopp, Football News & Top Stories
Feb 08, 2019 · The family of the footballer Emiliano Sala has called for the authorities to continue to search for missing pilot David Ibbotson as the world of football came to terms with the confirmation of the
Search For Emiliano Sala Continues As Friends And Family
Cristiano Ronaldo was fined almost €19 million ($21.6 million) for tax fraud on Tuesday but will avoid serving a 23-month prison sentence. The Juventus forward, who played for Real Madrid from
Ronaldo fined, not jailed for tax fraud - theworldnews.net
While Aeschylus wrote his play to end with somber mourning for the dead brothers, it now contains an ending that serves as a lead-in of sorts to Sophocles' play: a messenger appears, announcing a prohibition against burying Polynices; his sister Antigone, however, announces her intention to defy this edict.
Tropes A to F / Persona 5 - TV Tropes
0 comments:
Post a Comment