Tottenham’s Champions League semi-final opponents Ajax in focus

Ajax have shocked Europe this season after their run to the Champions League semi-final, where they meet also-unfancied Tottenham.

The first leg is at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Tuesday with the return leg in Amsterdam next week.

Here, Press Association Sport takes a close look at the Dutch outfit.

Doing it the hard way

The Ajax way

Ajax have got past those two powerhouses with an attacking, high-intensity style of football that has been attractive to watch. They play with a high press and everything comes through Frenkie De Jong, while Matthijs De Ligt is considered one of the best defenders in Europe. They adopt a 4-2-3-1 formation, with Hakim Ziyech and David Neres coming in off the wings.

Full of stars

European Pedigree

Ajax’s return to the top levels of European football is being heralded as a welcome return for a club who have a rich history. The won the European Cup three years in a row in the early 1970s and won the Champions League in 1994-95. That came three years after a UEFA Cup success, but since then, the Amsterdam club have had a barren time in Europe, even if they did get to the Europa League final when losing to Manchester United a few years ago.

Domestic fight

Erik Ten Hag’s side are not only fighting for silverware on the continent, they are also embroiled in a thrilling race for the Eredivisie as they sit at the summit, level on points with PSV Eindhoven. Ajax have not won their domestic league since 2014 but only have to match Eindhoven’s results in the last two games. Their attacking prowess has again come to the fore, in an albeit weak league, as they have plundered 111 goals in 32 games.