English Premier League side Tottenham beat Ajax last night in Amsterdam, on away goal rules, to set up an all English teams UEFA Champions League final.
Ajax went into the match with a 1-goal advantage from the first leg but lost 2-3 to Tottenham on Wednesday night. So while the aggregate is a 3-3 draw, the away go rule meant Ajax’s dream of playing in the final did not materialise.
The first goal of the match came via a fifth-minute header by 19-year-old Ajax captain Matthijs de Ligt. Tottenham hit the post through Son Heung-min before Hakim Ziyech doubled Ajax’s lead on the night with a sweeping finish after an assist by former Southampton winger Dusan Tadic.
That left Spurs 3-0 behind on aggregate yet, in another pulsating semi-final, Mauricio Pochettino’s side scored twice within five minutes in the second half.
Moura reduced the deficit with a composed finish before the Brazilian’s shot on the turn, after keeper Andre Onana had denied substitute Fernando Llorente, levelled the scores on the night and left Spurs requiring one goal to reach the final in Madrid on 1 June.
In a frantic finish, Vertonghen headed against the bar from four yards before Moura completed his hat-trick with a left-foot shot from 16 yards deep into stoppage time as Spurs won on away goals to reach their first Champions League final.
Tottenham will now face fellow English team Liverpool in the finals of Champions come Saturday 1 June at the Estadio Metropolitano in the Spanish capital Madrid. The stadium is the home of Atlético Madrid, the venue was officially opened in September 2017, replacing the club’s former home, the Estadio Vicente Calderón.
This year’s Champions League final will be the second all-English final in the competition after Manchester United beat Chelsea on penalties in Moscow in 2008.
11 thoughts on “Champions League: Tottenham beats Ajax to set up an all English sides final”