Tottenham vs Ajax

Ajax vs Tottenham preview: Will Spurs follow Liverpool example? 

Will Tottenham follow Liverpool's example and overcome a Champions League semi-final first leg deficit against Ajax to make the final?

Jurgen Klopp's side stunned the world when they beat Barcelona 4-0 at Anfield on Tuesday, overturning the 3-0 result from the first leg to make the Madrid final.

    Live Football: What's on Sky Sports this week

Sponsored link

    Take A Peek At This Insane Super Yacht Take A Peek At This Insane Super Yacht Mansion Global 

Recommended by

Attention turns to Amsterdam as Tottenham have a similar dilemma, already trailing 1-0 to Ajax from their first-leg tie with the Dutch side scoring a crucial away goal.

Mauricio Pochettino's side have lost five of their last six games in all competitions, including a late defeat to Bournemouth in the Premier League on Saturday where Heung-Min Son and Juan Foyth were sent off.

Oops! Remember you need to log in using your Sky iD to watch Premier League video

Highlights from Bournemouth's 1-0 win over Tottenham in the Premier League

Ajax certainly will not lack belief when they host Spurs, having already knocked three-time defending champions Real Madrid out in the round of 16 before overcoming Juventus in the quarter-finals.

The Eredivisie side are bidding to reach their first Champions League final for 23 years and will be favourites after Donny van de Beek's goal in north London last week.

Only one team of the 17 who have lost a Champions League semi-final, first leg at home have overturned the tie -- when Ajax overhauled Panathinaikos in the second leg in 1995/96.

Poch: Defeat gives us freedom

Pochettino said the first-leg deficit should allow his side to play with more freedom in the Johan Cruyff Arena.

"The negative result in the first leg obviously makes it more difficult tomorrow, but the tie is still open," the Argentine said. "We know we need to win and perform to our best. It's an exciting moment for us.

0:29

Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino says defender Jan Vertonghen is ‘ready to play’

"We need to feel more freedom to play tomorrow, because we have nothing to lose."

Pochettino was in a playful mood and even suggested he would "go home" if Tottenham went on to win the Champions League.

Asked to clarify, he said: "To win the Champions League with Tottenham, in this circumstance, maybe I need to think to do something different in the future."