15 FRIDAY, MAY 10, 2019 sports

Rose says Liverpool inspired Spurs’ Spurs comeback stuns Ajax miracle fightback AFP | Amsterdam

Tottenham Hotspur stun Ajax in miracle comeback to book Champions League final place anny Rose said Tot - Dtenham’s astonishing Dutch league and Cup double. Champions League semi-fi- hat- nal fightback against Ajax • ‘Cruel’ for Ajax was inspired by Liverpool’s trick breaks Ajax hearts They will take some time to own incredible victory get over falling short of what over Barcelona 24 hours e AFP | Amsterdam may be a once-in-a-generation arlier. chance to get back to the final It was a repeat of Liv - n emotional Mauricio of this competition. erpool’s epic comeback Pochettino called his “I told the players it is very against Barca when the ATottenham Hotspur hard to find the right words Reds overturned a 3-0 first- players “super-heroes” after in a moment like this and that leg deficit with a 4-0 tri - they reached the Champions football is cruel,” said Ten Hag, umph at Anfield. League final for the first time in whose team will now inevitably Tottenham defender Rose their history as a Lucas Moura be broken up without having the admitted Pochettino had hat-trick saw them come back chance to grace the biggest stage drawn on Liverpool’s spir- from the dead to beat Ajax on in the club game. ited success to inspire his Wednesday and leave the Dutch “We have to endure the cruel players when he spoke to side heartbroken. side tonight but we have to go them before the match. Ajax’s improbable European on.” “We saw Liverpool last run seemed set to go on all the Ajax did go on here, starting night. It just goes to show way to the final as they led 3-2 brilliantly on the night despite it’s not over until it’s over,” on aggregate deep in stoppage the blow of losing Brazilian Rose told BT Sport. time in the second leg of the winger to injury “The gaffer mentioned semi-final at the just before kick-off, with Kasper it at the hotel before the Arena. Dolberg taking his place. match. He said that was the That was when the ball broke right way to play. He doesn’t Tottenham’s Lucas Moura scores his and Spurs’ third goal to complete a 3-2 win to Lucas in the box and the Bra- Whirlwind start mind if we lose if we play zilian sent a low shot beyond super-heroes now. To have peared to have killed the tie af- That last-minute switch like that. Ajax goalkeeper Andre Onana brought the club to the final of ter captain Matthijs de Ligt and did not perturb them, as they to seal their comeback, making it the Champions League is very BETTER Hakim Ziyech scored in the first took a fifth-minute lead, Lasse 3-2 to them on the night, 3-3 on close to a miracle.” half here. Schoene’s corner being headed aggregate, and taking Pochetti- For Lucas there was similar That left Tottenham needing in by De Ligt. Dortmund’s no’s men through on away goals. emotion, the player rejected KNOW a comeback to match that of Spurs did threaten an im - They will now face fellow by Paris Saint-Germain as they Liverpool against Barcelona the mediate reply as a Son Heu - Sancho a doubt for comeback kings Liverpool in made way for Neymar stepping previous night, but in an even ng-min cross hit the near post, Duesseldorf clash Madrid on June 1, the first up in the ongoing absence of shorter amount of time. but Ajax escaped and came all-English showpiece since Tottenham’s talisman Harry An all-English Cham- A quickfire brace by Lucas again, a Tadic shot that fizzed AFP | Berlin 2008. Kane. pions League final will early in the second half gave just wide acting as a prelude for “It is one of the most im - “Football gives us moments take place between them something to cling to, be- what was to follow in the 35th ngland international portant nights in my life,” said like this that we cannot im - Liverpool and Spurs fore he struck the decisive blow. minute. EJadon Sancho is set to Pochettino, who was in tears at agine,” said Lucas. “We need Erik ten Hag’s team, who had This time Tadic cut the ball miss out on Borussia Dort- full-time. “The most important to enjoy it. Look at me –- it’s went in, their fans stunned as already eliminated Real Madrid back for Ziyech, whose shot on mund’s last home game of thing is to congratulate my play- the best moment in my life, my they fell short of a first final and Juventus, were applauded his left foot flew into the far the season this weekend ers. They did a great job.” career.” since 1996. by their devastated fans at full- corner from a difficult angle, a amid doubts over his fitness, “I have said before that they The Ajax players slumped Leading 1-0 after the first time and must now somehow lift wonderful goal that had surely coach Lucien Favre said. are heroes. I think they are to the turf as his deciding goal leg, the thrilling Dutch side ap- themselves to try to complete a clinched the tie. Sancho trained individ- ually yesterday, and Favre confirmed that he and “one or two others” had been un- able to train with the team Kane’s half-time pep-talk inspires Spurs fightback Ajax coach proud of players this week. “Jadon has not trained Reuters | Amsterdam petitions. after agonising defeat this week,” Favre said at a Whatever Kane said, it clear- press conference ahead of halftime visit to the Tot- ly worked a treat. Saturday’s clash with Fortu- Atenham Hotspur dressing “It was a disappointing first na Duesseldorf, adding that room by injured striker Harry half and we let them play. I defender Abdou Diallo had Kane helped inspire his side’s went into the dressing room at also not been able to train. remarkable 3-2 victory over half time and we knew it wasn’t “We will see tomorrow. If Ajax Amsterdam in the Cham- good enough,” Kane, who dam- they are able to train, then pions League semi-final.. aged his ankle in last month’s we will decide (whether Defender Kieran Trippier quarter-final first leg against they can play).” said Kane had not minced his Manchester City, said. words at halftime with Spurs “We said we had 45 minutes trailing to an inspired Dutch to give everything. I’m a fan side and heading for a fourth first and foremost and I know Tottenham’s Harry Kane celebrates Leverkusen sign successive defeat in all com- with Moussa Sissoko and teammates how much it means to the club. Kerem Demirbay

Ajax’s Matthijs de Ligt scores their first goal with a header AFP | Berlin Kane hopes to be fit for Champions League final AFP | Amsterdam Matthijs de Ligt and Hakim hampions League hope- Ziyech. Cfuls Bayer Leverkusen AFP | Amsterdam if it carries on as it should I to comment when asked about jax coach Erik ten Hag Having eliminated Real Ma- have agreed to sign Ger - would hope to be. There’s still Kane’s fitness with the last Aexpressed pride in his drid and Juventus in the previ- many international Kerem arry Kane says he is on a few weeks to go,” Kane told question of his post-match team after seeing their rousing ous two rounds, they were on Demirbay from fellow Bun- Hcourse to be fit for Tot - BT Sport. press conference, throwing his Champions League run come the brink of a first Champions desliga club Hoffenheim, tenham’s Champions League “Rehab is going well. I start arms in the air as he left the to an end in cruel fashion in League final appearance for the club announced. final clash with Liverpool after straight line running this week room. their semi-final against Tot- the club in 23 years and their Midfielder Demirbay, 25, the England captain joined his which is why I was OK to run Tottenham’s Premier League tenham Hotspur on Wednes- players slumped to the turf in who won the Confedera- team’s celebrations following on at the end. form has dipped without their day. despair when Lucas got the tions Cup with Germany in their astonishing victory over “We beat Man City and Ajax leading scorer, although they “I’m very proud of this team winner. 2017, will join Leverkusen Ajax. so I have to start training even should still secure a top-four and that they made it this far. “We tried to shut the game on a five-year deal at the end Kane is recovering from an harder to prove myself to the finish in their last domestic We have had a great run,” Ten down and we didn’t manage,” of the season for a report- ankle ligament injury, but he gaffer.” game of the season against Hag said after the Dutch club admitted Ten Hag, with Ziyech ed fee of 28 million euros was watching from the stands Kane has been sidelined since Everton on Sunday. were beaten on away goals on also hitting the post late on for ($31.3m). in the as sustaining his latest ankle inju- Pochettino’s team have re- a dramatic night at the Johan the home side. “Bayer Leverkusen have Tottenham recovered from 2-0 ry in a challenge on Manches- served their best performances Cruyff Arena. “I told the players it is very always played attractive, down to win 3-2 in the semi-fi- ter City’s Fabian Delph in the without Kane for the Champi- Ajax had been 2-0 up on the hard to find the right words attacking football, and that nal second leg. quarter-final first leg on April 9. ons League, much to the delight night, and 3-0 ahead in the tie, in a moment like this and that style suits me,” Demirbay “We’ll see. So far so good, so But Pochettino did not want of the 25-year-old. after first-half goals by captain football is cruel. told the club website.