Spurs hailed for amazing comeback against Ajax

The Mirror’s John Cross could barely believe his eyes: “We never thought it would happen again. Not in the space of 24 hours.

“They did it on pure courage, never-say-die spirit and showed the whole of Europe how it is done in an unforgettable week.

“This was a night for heroes and one that Tottenham will never forget as it looked as if they used Liverpool’s win as inspiration and hope when it appeared all over.”

The image of the Ajax players, broken and unable to tolerate reality in the last few seconds of the match, will be remembered by fans of the club forever. They know their emerging superstars will soon be stripped for parts by Europe’s biggest clubs in the summer.

The Guardian’s Daniel Taylor reminded readers of the harsh reality of defeat, writing: “When everything changed, there were suddenly seven, eight, maybe even nine Ajax players flat out on the pitch, their faces buried into the turf, not wanting to see any more... We were reminded, once again, about the glories of this sport, about how brutal football can be and how, every once in a while, there is a story that can make your bones vibrate.”

The Independent’s premier football writer, Jack Pitt-Brooke, explicitly recalled the moment that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer broke the hearts of Bayern Munich in 1999, describing the fears for this inexperienced Ajax side.

He wrote: “The deep fear in Amsterdam, even on the coaching staff, was that it would only take one goal for Ajax to crumble. But no-one could have dreamed up anything as catastrophic as this. Not after they had already scored two first half goals and looked in total control of the tie.

“The only difference between this and, say, the Ole Gunnar Solskjaer winner against Bayern Munich in 1999 or the Sergio Ramos equaliser in 2014 is that it came in the semi, not the final. But for the loser the pain will be just as much. Because they all know they will never get this chance again.”

After watching two consecutive games of resilience, drama and talent, Jason Burt had his say in the Telegraph, deciding the only way to do justice to both Pochettino and Jurgen Klopp was to call the pair’s sides, “Monsters of Mentality.”

“What a worthy final it will be. Two excellent, courageous sides led by two charismatic, remarkable managers. Mauricio Pochettino and Jurgen Klopp are kindred spirits in the way they connect with their players, with the fans and the energy and soul they bring.

“They manage two sides who are Monsters of Mentality.”

You can see just how stuck the editors were for headlines, with so many plumping for the same one:

However, with the late, late goal, it's understandable on some levels. From agony to ecstasy it seems.

The Dutch paper De Telegraaf carried Louis van Gaal’s damning words for his former side, one that he had won the Champions League with using his own crop of emerging stars. He pointed out the tactical shortcomings, but used perhaps the cruellest words to describe the defeat - unnecessary.

“Matthijs de Ligt and Daley Blind were embarrassed by Fernando Llorente, also by the connecting midfielders of the Spurs,” he said to Ziggo Sport..

“The defense of Ajax could not play that. This defeat was completely unnecessary. At half time there was nothing wrong with a 2-0 lead. In the second half, Tottenham took more and more risk and more and more attackers entered the field.”

Spurs’ manager Mauricio Pochettino broke down in tears after the game, overcome by the shock and pride of the night. His side had let themselves down in the first leg, and it seemed as if they were unable to shake off that disappointment in the first half in the Netherlands.

Remarkably, brilliantly, they used that disappointment to spur them onto one of their greatest ever victories. Sam McEvoy of the Mail described him, “running onto the pitch, Pochettino collapsed to his knees in a heap before crying tears of joy after masterminding a stunning comeback from three-goals down with just 45 minutes of game-time to do so.”

Pochettino’s words in victory were: “Still difficult to talk. Emotion is amazing, thank you football. Thank you these guys, they are heroes.In the last year I am telling everyone I have a group that are heroes and they showed today big balls.”