The world’s most popular sport has just seen three consecutive nights of wonder, the likes of which few fans have ever seen before — or will ever see again.
For a section of North London, Wednesday night was the stuff of dreams. Trailing youthful upstart Ajax 1-0 going into the second leg in Amsterdam, Spurs’ tails were down and hopes of the club’s first UEFA Champions League final looking bleak.
The final 3-3 aggregate scoreline seemed unfathomable 35 minutes in, when Ajax moved two goals ahead on the night courtesy of Matthijs de Ligt’s header and Hakim Ziyech’s fine strike, but a stunning Lucas Moura hat-trick turned the night around in spectacular style, with Spurs winning thanks to the away goals rule.
As the game moved into the final minute of stoppage time with the game poised at 3-3, Moura produced his final moment of magic to send Tottenham through and leave the young Ajax side stunned, and football fans — and commentators — delirious.
Glenn, Are you ok…are you ok ❤😂 #Spurs #UCL #NoFilterUCL pic.twitter.com/28ue4xkECY
— Rio Ferdinand (@rioferdy5) May 9, 2019
Coming back from a three-goal deficit to inflict a stunning 4-3 defeat on the Catalans, it had shades of the northwest club’s famous 2005 Champions League final win over AC Milan, in which it came back from three goals at half time to stun the Italians in a penalty shootout to raise the cup for the fifth time.
The Champions League heroics were the icing on the week which began with Manchester City’s stunning rescue in the English Premier League, at the unlikely hands of captain Vincent Kompany.
The club legend is known as a stalwart defender, but it was at the other end of the pitch that he made the difference — his wonder strike against Leicester, a screamer from outside the box into the top right hand corner — looked all but set for City to retain the Premier League title under Pep Guardiola.
Kompany said he’d been telling people for years that he’d score a goal “like that” — a potential candidate for goal of the season — and it could prove decisive to Manchester club lifting the trophy come this weekend.
“I could hear people saying ‘Don’t shoot, don’t shoot!’. I’ve not come this far in my career to have young players tell me when to shoot!
— Premier League (@premierleague) May 6, 2019
“For 15 years, I’ve told people I’ll score one like that”
– @ManCity match-winner @VincentKompany pic.twitter.com/8vgN6KKUWm
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