Lucas Moura's hat-trick put Tottenham Hotspur in the Champions League final on away goals as they beat Ajax Amsterdam 3-2 on Wednesday.
Ajax was ahead 2-0 in the first half after captain Matthijs de Ligt and Hakim Ziyech scored in the fifth and 35th minute, and it looked certain that the Amsterdam team will ake the finals. However, Tottenham changed the course of the game in the second half as Moura scored in the 55 minute to give the Spurs some hope.
Four minutes later, an equaliser from Moura kept both teams on edge in a thrilling match. The Brazilian sealed the win for Tottenham with a goal in the corner in the sixth minute of stoppage time.
Tottenham Hotspur became the eighth English club to reach the European Cup final.
An emotional Mauricio Pochettino said, “My players are heroes―in the last year I was telling everyone this group are heroes.”
Ajax, having won the first leg 1-0, was looking to enter their first final in 23 years. But Moura's last-gasp winner ensured that Tottenham won and move forward on away goals on 3-3 aggregate. Tottenham will face Liverpool in the final on June 2 at the Wanda Metropolitano Stadium in Madrid.
Liverpool had defeated Barcelona 4-0 a day before to overturn a 3-0 first-leg deficit and book their place in the final.
(With inputs from agencies)