#4 Tottenham Hotspur vs AFC Ajax, SF- 2018/19
First Leg: Tottenham 0-1 Ajax (D. van de Beek 15')
Second Leg: Ajax 2-3 Tottenham (De Ligt 5', Ziyech 35'; Lucas 55' 59' 90+6')
Tottenham advance due to greater away goals.
Ajax extended their aggregate to 3-0 in the return leg's first-half, and Spurs' hopes of playing in the maiden Champions League final looked bleak. But, a different script followed in the final 45 minutes of the game.
Lucas Moura's stunning hat-trick terminated Ajax's dream run in the competition- with his third goal coming in the dying seconds of injury-time. The Brazilian is the unsung hero of Tottenham as his equalizer against Barcelona group stage ensured his side's qualification for the Knockouts.
The absence of their superstar number nine- Harry Kane made Spurs' turnaround even more special. Tottenham's astonishing turnaround is a testament to Pochettino's diligence and tactical nous as the Argentinian didn't strengthen his squad in the summer.
First Leg:
Second Leg:
#3 Barcelona vs Paris Saint-Germain, Round of 16- 2016/17
First Leg: PSG 4-0 Barcelona (Di Maria 18' 55', Draxler 40', Cavani 72')
Second Leg: Barcelona 6-1 PSG (Suarez 3', Kurzawa 40'(o.g), Messi 50', Neymar 88' 90+1' Roberto 90+5'; Cavani 62')
Barcelona advanced with an aggregate score of 6-5.
Barcelona endured a shocking 4-0 defeat at Parc des Princes. The resurgence of Blaugrana against PSG's four-goal advantage was flabbergasting.
Angel Di Maria scored a brace in Paris' rollicking performance against Barca in the first-leg. The Catalan side faced an improbable task of inclining the tie in their favour.
The electrifying Camp Nou environment stimulated the Azulgranas, and they staged a historic Champions League comeback.
Luis Suarez scored in the third minute, and his early strike laid a perfect platform for Barcelona. Neymar's 88th-minute free-kick provided the final adrenaline rush to the Barcelona players, and they pushed hard until Sergi Roberto found the net in the dying moments.