SO NOW it’s down to the last four of the Champions League.
Earlier this morning (as this piece was still running through the press), Tottenham Hotspur hosted Ajax Amsterdam in the first semifinal.
Whatever the result of the match, Ajax has established itself as the surprise team this season, the slayer of giants, the team to herald the re-emergence of Dutch football.
To recall, two of the biggest clubs of Europe fell under Ajax’s sword.
First was the Ronaldo-less Spanish giants Real Madrid, which lost 3-5 on aggregate in the Round of 16, despite coming off with a 1-2 away win in the first leg at the Amsterdam Arena, only to lose 1-4 in the return leg at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Then in an ironic turn of events in the Quarterfinals, the Ronaldo-led Juventus was handed the same fate. An away goal in Amsterdam from a 1-1 draw was merely overtuned in the return leg: Juve lost 1-2 at the Juventus Stadium. Not even Cristiano Ronaldo’s two goals over two legs was enough to save his new team.
Tottenham, on the other hand, reached the semifinals, first, at the expense of overmatched Borussia Dortmund -- 4-0 on aggregate -- and then in the quarterfinal against fellow Premier League team Manchester City in heart-stopping fashion: 4-4 on aggregate but advancing by virtue of away goals.
This particular clash between Ajax and Tottenham could turn into a classic whose result is something football fans can look forward to with much anticipation.
Either of the two teams will prove worthy opponents to the winner of the upcoming FC Barcelona vs. Liverpool encounter. Barca will host The Reds at Camp Nou tomorrow at 3 a.m., a matchup that is the stuff of dreams.
Two former European champions bent on reclaiming lost glory. The last time Barcelona lifted the trophy was in 2015, while Liverpool were champions a long 14 years ago.
And what a Champions League season this is turning out to be. The last three seasons have seen only one name etched on the cup: that of Real Madrid the Fallen. All that changes this year with the new Kings of Europe.