Lucas Moura's Hat Trick Stuns Ajax, Leads Tottenham to UCL Final vs. Liverpool

Lucas Moura scored a hat-trick to complete an incredible comeback for Tottenham Hotspur against Ajax and send Mauricio Pochettino's men into the final of the UEFA Champions League against Ajax.

Goals from Matthijs de Ligt and Hakim Ziyech had put Ajax 2-0 up on the night and 3-0 ahead on aggregate at half-time, but Spurs turned the game around after the break. 

The Brazilian fired a low shot past Onana after being played through by Dele Alli on 51 minutes and added a second from close range after the Ajax goalkeeper had split a shot from Fernando Llorente.

Tottenham went close to a winner late on as Jan Vertonghen's header hit the crossbar, and Ajax then needed Joel Veltman to clear off the line.

However, the visitors refused to be denied and won it with virtually the last kick of the game. Alli set up Lucas again, and he clinically beat Onana to send Tottenham into their first Champions League final.

Tottenham Comeback Shows Spurs Should Not Fear Liverpool

Liverpool will go into the Champions League final as favourites to lift the European Cup for the sixth time in their history, but Tottenham's miracle comeback shows they should not fear the Reds.

Bleacher Report's Rob Blanchette noted why Liverpool will not fancy taking on Spurs:

Mauricio Pochettino's men had already knocked out Manchester City in a wild quarter-final clash, but they showed their fighting spirit once against in Amsterdam to end Ajax's hopes in dramatic style:

The visitors looked dead and buried at half-time at 3-0 down on aggregate, but two quickfire goals from Lucas gave Spurs hope and the belief began to flow through the visitors.

Both sides had chances to score in an absorbing second half. Ziyech hit the post and also forced Lloris into a fine save, but Tottenham had chances of their own and simply refused to give up.

Jan Vertonghen saw a header hit the crossbar, Joel Veltman then cleared off the line and with time running out Lucas kept his composure to apply a brilliant finish and complete his hat-trick.

The Brazilian has had his critics during his time at Spurs but earned praise for his performance:

Meanwhile, Opta noted just how rare it is for teams to recover from two goals down in this competition:

Alli also deserves credit for the role he played in the match. The midfielder is a key part of the Tottenham attack and will surely relish taking on Liverpool:

Tottenham could also be boosted by the return of captain and top scorer Harry Kane for the final.

The England international is expected to be fit for the game in Madrid, according to Jack Rosser at the Evening Standard:

This season's Champions League has been memorable for the shocks it has produced and the sensational semi-final comebacks from both Liverpool and Tottenham.

The unpredictable nature of this season's competition means it is impossible to write off Tottenham, as they look to lift the European Cup for the first time in their history.

What's Next?

Tottenham will play Liverpool in the final at Atletico Madrid's Wanda Metropolitano Stadium on June 1. 

Tottenham's next fixture is their final Premier League game of the season on Sunday at home to Everton, while Ajax play their penultimate Eredivisie game on the same day against FC Utrecht.