After knocking out Real Madrid and Juventus in hugely impressive fashion, a youthful Ajax side were drawn against Tottenham Hotspur in the semi-finals of the Champions League in 2018/19.
The Dutch side's fairytale run looked set to continue as well, as they showed their maturity and class to pick up a 1-0 first leg win away from home. And they extended their lead when Matthijs de Ligt climbed highest after just five minutes in the second leg to power home and put Ajax in control.
Spurs weren't going down without a fight, however, and Son Heung-min rattled the woodwork. But it was Ajax who grabbed the next goal through Hakim Ziyech, the Moroccan firing in a stunning finish with his left foot to put his side very much in the driving seat and on course for a place in the final of the Champions League.
As the goal went in, Tottenham looked deflated, whereas Ajax were thriving and only growing into the contest. Normally, a 3-0 lead with 55 minutes left to play would be too high a mountain to climb for a team in the Champions League semi-finals, but this wasn't any ordinary contest.
Having witnessed one of the most remarkable comebacks in recent history the night prior as Liverpool overturned a 3-0 first leg deficit to beat Barcelona, Tottenham - and the footballing world - knew that anything was still possible.
On the biggest stage, with so much at stake, Spurs required their star players - or a star player - to take matters into their own hands and defy the odds.
✨ It's one of those magical European nights...
— Tottenham Hotspur (at ?) (@SpursOfficial) May 8, 2020
⏮️ ? Tune in at 8pm (UK) to watch our Champions League semi-final second leg clash with Ajax in full.#THFC ⚪️ #COYS pic.twitter.com/g0tZcnA52n
Lucas Moura was this man on 8 May 2019.
His stunning hat-track sparked wild celebrations in the away end of Johan Cruijff Arena, but left those in the other parts of the stadium shellshocked and heartbroken.
For the second time in two nights, the footballing world had been treated to an unthinkable comeback. So let's do Lucas' hat-trick justice by breaking it down and looking at each of his strikes on the night individually....
Goal #1 - The Build-Up
The timing of the first goal was crucial, coming just ten minutes after the restart. While Lucas was the one to receive all the credit for pulling a goal back, it was actually a pulsating and devastating counter-attack.
Starting in defence, Danny Rose produced a deft little nutmeg to get past De Ligt, before pinging the ball in the direction of Lucas, who touched it first-time into the path of Dele Alli.
Dele only had one thought in his mind - drive at the defence. Running towards goal, he chopped inside the defender, and Lucas used his pace to ensure he would be the first man to latch onto the loose ball. The Brazilian took just one perfect touch away from the defenders before ruthlessly firing his left-footed strike into the bottom corner.
No celebration, instead the players raced to collect the ball and place it back in the centre circle.
Game on.
It was a stunning counter-attack that often (understandably) gets overlooked due to the overall events on the night.
Goal #2 - The Perseverance
If the first goal was a thing of beauty, the second was...well, it was more about sheer perseverance more than anything.
Just four minutes later, Rose's cross from the left found its way to Son on the edge of the area. The forward saw Kieran Trippier bursting into the box on the right and played the ball in front of him, allowing the English full-back to burst onto it at full pace. As Fernando Llorente met Trippier's drilled low cross, it appeared as though it was a certain goal.
But Andre Onana had other ideas.
It was a breathtaking save from point-blank range, but as he rushed to pick up the loose ball, he was blocked by his own defender. In came Lucas, racing onto the ball, but with nine (NINE!) Ajax players all stood within 12 yards of the goal as they looked to preserve their lead, it looked as though the 27-year-old would struggle to find any real space to get a shot in.
Twisting, turning and shifting with the ball stuck to his feet, Lucas managed to find less than half a yard of space before unleashing his strike, which found its way into the bottom corner.
While this goal was about perseverance, the footwork from Lucas to find the space he needed is something to be admired.
Goal #3 - The Finish
What. A. Moment. ?
— ?? Ja! Watch the Bundesliga live on BT Sport?? (@btsportfootball) May 8, 2020
One year ago today, Lucas Moura wrote himself into the Tottenham Hotspur history books FOREVER!
Football is incredible ? pic.twitter.com/qH4c6RsXft
Two goals in four minutes from Tottenham, but this was an Ajax side that were fearless, and they looked a threat each time they went forward.
Indeed, it was Ziyech again who came closest to extending their lead on aggregate, the player drilling his shot against the post.
It was a lucky escape for the north Londoners. But then it was their turn to be denied by the woodwork, this time Jan Vertonghen saw his header hit the bar before being cleared off the line.
The game was on a knife-edge.
The clock entered into added time, with Spurs still searching for the winner - the goal to take them to the Champions League final. Each minute for them flew by, and with 96 minutes now having been played, Moussa Sissoko realised that the ball had to go long.
Llorente used his body well to stop an Ajax player from getting a head to it and clearing, instead it fell into the path of Dele. The midfielder played the ball first-time through to Lucas, who made a darting run from the right into the centre of pitch.
Instinctively, he fired the ball low and hard into the bottom corner, with Onana stretching but unable to keep it out.
The Ajax players were on the floor, they couldn't believe what had just happened. As for Spurs, it was a moment that will live long in the memory of those involved with the club.
As the full time whistle blew, Mauricio Pochettino was in tears, while Harry Kane had seemingly recovered from an ankle injury for those few moments as he was sprinting around the pitch. Lucas, meanwhile, the hero of the night, was on the floor in shock before teammates circled around him and lifted him up to celebrate.
Lucas' ruthless finish in the dying seconds of the game summed up his overall performance on the night, stepping up and delivering for his team to make it one of the most memorable nights in the club's recent history.
For more from Adam Aladay, follow him on Twitter!
Source : 90min