IT was the moment no Spurs fan will ever forget.
Lucas Moura’s left foot in the fifth minute of stoppage time, left the Johan Cruyff ArenA shocked and Tottenham fans in joyful disbelief.
But Lucas’ goal was just the latest in a series of Houdini acts by Mauricio Pochettino’s team this season.
Incredibly, Spurs have been on the brink of elimination no fewer than SIX times in the campaign to date.
Somehow, they survived to earn their date with destiny against Liverpool in Madrid on June 1.
SunSport analyses how Tottenham have walked the Champions League tightrope throughout the season – and somehow reached the other end unscathed.
October 24 – PSV Eindhoven 2 Tottenham 2
Having dominated, despite having Hugo Lloris sent off, Spurs conceded a scrappy late equaliser which left them with just one point from the first nine available.
Only seven clubs in Champions League history had ever recovered from such a poor start to progress.
Frustrated Poch admitted: “It is nearly over.”
November 6 – Tottenham 2 PSV 1
Spurs, despite all the ball, were still trailing to Luuk de Jong’s second-minute header with just 11 minutes to play and even when Harry Kane collected from substitute Fernando Llorente to level, they were heading out.
But with a minute to go, Kane’s deflected header somehow stumbled over the line.
November 28 – Tottenham 1 Inter Milan 0
Resilient Inter only needed a draw to be through on the head-to-head rule and after 80 minutes at Wembley Spurs looked to be running out of ideas and hope.
But then Moussa Sissoko drove down the right and into the box, Dele Alli switched feet to feed on and Christian Eriksen rifled into the roof of the net.
December 11 – Barcelona 1 Tottenham 1
Spurs needed to match Inter’s result to qualify but were trailing in the Nou Camp after just seven minutes when Moussa Dembele picked Kyle Walker-Peters’ pocket to score.
Poch’s men were desperate but with just five to go Kane plundered down the left and crossed for Lucas to steer home from close range.
The Spurs players stood around at the final whistle, waiting for news from the San Siro – and it came first from the travelling fans perched high in the stands.
April 17 – Manchester City 4 Tottenham 3
Without the crocked Kane, Spurs’ first leg advantage lasted just three minutes before a quickfire Heung-min Son double seemed to put them in charge.
But City were ahead on the night by half-time through Barnardo Silva and Raheem Sterling’s second of the evening, and ahead in the tie when Sergio Aguero rifled home.
Llorente’s effort, off his arm and hip, was bundled in and allowed by VAR. But with second to go, Sterling thought he had completed his hat-trick.
The Etihad celebrated, Pep Guardiola going mad, only for the VAR team to rule Aguero was fractionally offside in the lead-up to the goal. Surely, you couldn’t get more dramatic than that?
May 9 – Ajax 2 Tottenham 3
You could, you know! And how. Dead and buried at half-time as they trailed by two on the night and three on aggregate, against a team that had never lost at home in Europe after scoring first.
But what followed was instant Spurs legend. Dele set up Lucas for his first, before the brazilian twisted, turned and somehow poked home the equaliser.
They still needed one more, as the game entered the fifth minute of stoppage time, when Dele fed Lucas again for the strike which broke Dutch hearts.
Ajax had led for 175 minutes of the tie and never trailed – until then.
Astonishing.
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