Juventus coach, Allegri suggests Ajax have been extremely lucky in their UCL campaign, facing against teams who have been weakened in one way or another. But where does their lucky run end? Can Tottenham prove to the world that Ajax doesn’t belong in the finals of UCL, or will they suffer the same fate as Juventus and Real Madrid?
AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS – MAY 07: Tottenham Hotspur manager Mauricio Pochettino faces the media during a Tottenham Hotspur press conference on the eve of their UEFA Champions League semi final against Ajax at Johan Cruyff Arena on May 7, 2019 in Amsterdam, Netherlands. (Photo by Craig Mercer/MB Media/Getty Images)
Can Liverpool come back from a 3:0 defeat and can Tottenham defeat Ajax at Johan Cruyff Arena are two of the most popular topics football fans are currently discussing. While Liverpool made an amazing comeback, it’s Tottenham who have got a real chance to knock out Ajax, who were marked as a lucky club by Juventus coach, Massimiliano Allegri.
Massimiliano Allegri stated that he believes Ajax were extremely lucky in the Champions League this season and that there have been moments when everything went right for them. Luck does come off as an intriguing topic of discussion. Is there even such thing as “luck” or are there just random occurrences which end up in a random result. Were Ajax really so “lucky” to go against all odds and defeat two teams they should have lost against? Or is Ajax simply such a dominant team and deservingly got themselves so far?
Allegri seems to have found the right answer. Ajax just happen to face off against teams that were weakened one way or another. Is that luck? I’m not sure, but what I am sure of is that there is some truth in that. When the Dutch team played against Juventus, Allegri was without Chiellini, Mandzukic and Costa, which ultimately resulted in a 2:1 defeat against Ajax. Even when Ajax played against Tottenham, the Spurs were without two key players; Kane, Son and even lost their central defender (Vertonghen) in the 15th minute due to an injury.
AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS – MAY 07: Jan Vertonghen of Tottenham Hotspur is seen wearing a protective mask during a training session ahead of their UEFA Champions League semi final against Ajax at Johan Cruyff Arena on May 7, 2019 in Amsterdam, Netherlands. (Photo by Craig Mercer/MB Media/Getty Images)
With that in mind, we must ask ourselves, is Ajax really just lucky, is it just meant to be for them to reach the finals, or will they kneel before Spurs on Wednesday, when the 2nd leg is set to take place?
Heading to Amsterdam, Tottenham will welcome back Son to their squad, who will provide some quality at the front, which is exactly what the Spurs need to catch up to the 1 goal deficit. Heung-Min Son, who has been phenomenal for Spurs this season, scoring 12 goal in the Premier League had to miss the 1st leg due to suspension, however now, he is back and ready to help his team get into the first ever UCL finals in the history of the club.
Additionally, Spurs have reported Vertonghen will return to the field to play against Ajax, despite his injury in the 1st leg. Although Spurs will welcome back Son, there are still some doubts they will be able to overcome the Dutch team, who have been playing well at their home stadium in their UCL campaign so far. And with the ambitions of reaching the finals, only if they can hold off Kane-less Tottenham, a highly defensive approach which will leave Tottenham helpless is likely to happen. Even Bookmakers seem to agree Tottenham have slim chances of advancing here (3.58), despite facing off against a team who quite frankly do not come off as a serious contender for the UCL title. Or should I say, they did not look like one back in February.
Looking back at the first leg, Tottenham has a lot of room to improve before heading to Amsterdam. While the addition of Son to their team does add some quality and threat in the offensive end, there are a lot of other issues Spurs need to address if they wish to overcome Ajax and advance into the finals.
