1. Footymad
  2. Spurs Mad
  3. Spurs Latest
  4. Spurs News

Tottenham vs Ajax: How the Dutch Defence Proved Itself in the Champions League Semi-Final

Ajax travelled to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Tuesday to face Mauricio Pochettino's Tottenham in the first leg of the Champions League semi-final tie, and earned an impressive 1-0 win to put them one step closer to the final.

The Eredivisie side dominated proceedings early on and Donny van de Beek gave his side a deserved lead early in the first half. Spurs responded well but were lacklustre in attack, ultimately failing to find a way past Andre Onana in the Ajax goal.

Keeping a clean sheet against ​Spurs has not been easy in recent years, and ​Opta confirmed that Ajax were the first side to stop Pochettino's side from scoring in the ​Champions League since Bayer Leverkusen managed the feat in November 2016, in a run which stretched back 20 games.


They also confirmed that Spurs managed just one shot on target during the game, matching their lowest ever total in a Champions League game.

With ​Harry Kane injured and ​Son Heung-min suspended, Pochettino was forced to pair Lucas Moura with Fernando Llorente, and had no other options on the bench as Vincent Janssen was not even registered in the Champions League squad.

Heung-Min Son

Fortunately, Son will be eligible to feature in the second leg and Pochettino will likely field him in a central role, just as he did to devastating effect against ​Manchester City in the last round.

The South Korean was excellent against Pep Guardiola's side, netting twice to ensure his side remained ahead of City on away goals.  The goals took Son's tally for the season to 20, leaving him behind just Kane in the club's scoring charts.


Source : 90min