Ajax aim to end English hoodoo, Son will be missed – Champions League in Opta numbers

Tottenham and Ajax go head-to-head on Tuesday in what promises to be an enthralling Champions League semi-final.

An unlikely pairing considering the European heavyweights that have dropped out of the competition – with Ajax responsible for two shocks in knocking out Real Madrid and Juventus – Mauricio Pochettino’s and Erik ten Hag’s sides will meet at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium before the reverse fixture in Amsterdam on May 8.

Tottenham have had to overcome adversity, with star man Harry Kane out injured, while Son Heung-min is going to miss the first leg of the semi-final through suspension.

Barcelona or Liverpool will await the winner at Wanda Metripolitano on June 1, and here we look at some of the Opta facts ahead of the tie.

1 – Ajax have only won one of their previous six meetings with English opposition in the Champions League. This victory came against Manchester City in October 2012.

2 -Tottenham have won both of their previous meetings with Ajax in all competitions, winning both legs in the first round of the 1981-82 Cup Winners’ Cup (3-1 away, 3-0 at home).

12 – Son is sure to be a big miss for Spurs on Tuesday. His brace against City in the quarter-finals made him the highest Asian goalscorer in Champions League history with 12 goals in total.

40 – Tottenham are aiming to become the 40th different side to reach the final of Europe’s elite club competition, and the eighth English side. Chelsea were the last team to make their debut in the final in 2008.

22 – It has been 22 years since Ajax last appeared in a Champions League semi-final. They lost to Juventus in the 1996-97 edition of the tournament.

8 – Tottenham have won eight of their last 10 Champions League home games, including each of the last four in a row. They have also kept a clean sheet in each of their last three.

3 – Ajax have won their last three away games in the Champions League, as many as they had in their previous 31 on the road in the competition.

24 – The average age of Ajax’s starting XI in the Champions League this season has been 24 years and 257 days – the youngest of any of the semi-finalists, and second youngest of all 32 teams to take part in the competition this season.

What. A. Journey.

The story of our @ChampionsLeague campaign so far… #UCL   #COYS pic.twitter.com/v7v08c4wvj

— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) April 29, 2019