SM
Bayern vs. Augsburg: 17 hrs 49 mins
Upcoming predictions and previews
SL
Champions League | Semi-Finals
Apr 30, 2019 at 8pm UK
 
A

0-1

 
FT(HT: 0-1)

Spurs ready for Ajax showdown - the key talking points

:Headline: Spurs ready for Ajax showdown - the key talking points: ID:357683: from db_amp
Spurs host the Dutch side on Tuesday night.

Tottenham face Ajax in a Champions League semi-final that no one would have expected, with the first leg in London on Tuesday.

Here, Press Association Sport looks at five talking points ahead of the match at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Ajax's unfair advantage?

Ajax have had the luxury of a full week off to prepare for this match after the Dutch Eredivisie cancelled last weekend's domestic round of fixtures in order to give their team maximum chance of doing well in Europe. That was simply not an option for the Premier League and Tottenham were forced to play against West Ham, though were afforded a lunchtime kick-off on Saturday. Still, boss Mauricio Pochettino has described the discrepancy in preparation time as "not fair".

Tottenham's shopping history at Ajax

Tottenham signed Jan Vertonghen from Ajax (Steven Paston/PA)

There will have been a quartet of players in the Spurs dressing room who will have given an extra smile when they confirmed their last-four date with Ajax. Christian Eriksen, Jan Vertonghen, Davinson Sanchez and Toby Alderweireld all used to play for the Amsterdam side, with the first three joining Spurs from there while the latter came via Atletico Madrid. All four have spoken about their love of the Dutch club, so they will be especially looking forward to this reunion.

Son won't be shining for Spurs

Spurs' chances of progressing have been hit by the suspension of Son Heung-min for the first leg. The South Korean has stepped into the limelight in the absence of the injured Harry Kane, scoring three times in the memorable quarter-final tie against Manchester City, which they won on away goals. But he picked up a yellow card at the Etihad Stadium, meaning he must serve a one-match ban. That is a massive blow for Pochettino and it leaves Spurs short of attacking options. It will be time for someone else to step up.

A battle of the unfancied teams

Frenkie De Jong is leaving Ajax for Barcelona at the end of the season (Nick Potts/PA)

This is a tie that no one will have predicted when the last-16 draw was made as both Tottenham and Ajax have had a testing route to the last four. Spurs ended up breezing past Borussia Dortmund before their really difficult task in beating City while the Dutch side have claimed the scalps of two of the biggest clubs in Europe, embarrassing Real Madrid and then usurping Juventus. It makes for a fascinating tie, which will see a team nobody fancied making it to the final.

De Ligt at last for Spurs fans

At last Spurs fans will get to see Matthijs De Ligt play at Tottenham. The highly-rated Ajax centre-half has long been a reported target for Spurs, who had lined him up as a potential replacement for Alderweireld last summer. That never materialised and given his form for the Dutch side this season, he could now be able to command interest from much bigger clubs, with Barcelona and Juve thought to be tracking him. De Ligt against Kane or Son would have been a great spectacle, but the Dutchman may have an easier evening now.

amp_article__357683 : Database Data restored...  : 
last updated article - 2019-04-29 12:01:41:
html db last update - 2019-04-29 12:01:41 :

ex - 7200 : read : read cache amp html
Share this article now:
Recommended Next on SM
Premier League Table
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Liverpool119112161528
2Manchester CityMan City117222213923
3Chelsea115422113819
4Arsenal115421812619
5Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest115421510519
6Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton115421915419
7Fulham115331613318
8Newcastle UnitedNewcastle115331311218
9Aston Villa115331717018
10Tottenham HotspurSpurs1151523131016
11Brentford115152222016
12Bournemouth114341515015
13Manchester UnitedMan Utd114341212015
14West Ham UnitedWest Ham113351319-612
15Leicester CityLeicester112451421-710
16Everton112451017-710
17Ipswich TownIpswich111551222-108
18Crystal Palace11146815-77
19Wolverhampton WanderersWolves111371627-116
20Southampton11119721-144
Scroll for more - Tap for full version


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
AL
Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!

Loading ...

Failed to load data.



. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .