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."
AC Milan stumble to goalless draw at Frosinone. vanguardngr.com 3+ mon ago AC Milan's push for a top-four finish in Serie A took a hit on Wednesday as Gennaro Gattuso's side were held to an uneventful 0-0 draw at struggling Frosinone.
Gattuso's last Milan chance | Football Italia
Welcome to the Official Arsenal website. Get all the latest news, match video, injury updates, TV information, player info, match stats, tickets, shirts and more
Game of Thrones (season 8) - Wikipedia
Mbappe had two goals ruled out in the first half, one for offside and one for handball, but made amends after the interval as he finished from close range on 69 minutes to mark his half century in
Mbappe reaches half century as PSG brush Nimes aside
Guardiola predicts roller-coaster title run-in after Liverpool blip. Soccer Football - Premier League - Manchester City v Arsenal - Etihad Stadium, Manchester, Britain - February 3, 2019
Manchester City Pep Guardiola predicts roller-coaster title
Manchester City swept back to the top of the Premier League as Gabriel Jesus struck twice in the champions' 3-1 win over Everton, while Christian Eriksen kept Tottenham in the title hunt in a last
Jesus shines as City regain top spot, Eriksen fires Spurs
Mar 09, 2019 · Mauricio Pochettino was damning in his assessment of his Tottenham players after they threw away a first-half lead to lose 2-1 to Southampton, accusing them of "complacency" and "arrogance
Spurs snap Chelsea curse, cement top-four spot - global.espn.com
global.espn.com/football/blog/the-match/60/post/3435724/tottenham-first-win-at-chelsea-since-1990-to-move-decisively-clear-in-top-four-race
Eden Hazard was anonymous once again and the lack of drive and purpose within the team after the half-time interval was embarrassingly obvious. This was a huge game for Chelsea, one that would have put them within two points of the top four had they won. But only one team had the hunger for the win after the break on Sunday and that was Spurs.
Arsenal and Mesut Ozil lack mental strength to compete for
Europa League: 10-man Arsenal slump to heavy loss as Chelsea earn big home win and there was another surprise in Spain where Slavia Prague held five-time Europa League champions Sevilla to a 2
Europa League: Chelsea too strong for Kiev, Arsenal slump at
Holders U.S. shrug off weight of World Cup expectations FILE PHOTO: Julie Foudy of the USA (C) holds up the Women's World Cup trophy after the USA beat China in the World Cup final on penalty kicks.
Shrugs at JCPenney® | 25-40% off Cardigans
AD
The England national football team is the joint-oldest in the world; it was formed at the same time as Scotland.A representative match between England and Scotland was played on 5 March 1870, having been organised by the Football Association.
Payvand News Of Iran: Sports
Rangers have signed Bournemouth striker Jermain Defoe and Southampton midfielder Steven Davis on loan. Ex-Tottenham forward Defoe, 36, who won 57 England caps, has made only eight appearances for
Football: Scottish title-chasing Rangers sign Jermain Defoe
Christian Eriksen's 88th minute goal finally breaks Brighton and Hove Albion's brave resistance to give Tottenham Hotspur a precious 1-0 victory in their quest for a top-four finish in the Premier League.
Eriksen's late goal secures precious win for Tottenham
Synonyms of high-stakes gambler | Thesaurus.com
Achieve your financial goals with help from your neighborhood banking partner. Achieve your financial goals with help from your neighborhood banking partner—United Bank. We're a leading community bank in New England and have more than 55 branch locations throughout Connecticut and Massachusetts. Through a suite of first-class personal and
0 Kommentare:
Kommentar veröffentlichen