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Why Mauricio Pochettino wants Tottenham to COPY Lionel Messi vs Liverpool away at Ajax
MAURICIO POCHETTINO wants his Tottenham side to use Lionel Messi’s performance against Liverpool as inspiration when they return to Amsterdam for their Champions League second leg with Ajax.
Tottenham fell to a 1-0 defeat in the first leg of their semi-final clash with the Eredivisie outfit on Tuesday night at their new home stadium.
Without the suspended Heung-min Son and with Harry Kane and Harry Winks both injured, Spurs both struggled for forward threat and midfield control.
Though they recovered from a poor first half to improve after the break, the north London outfit were made to pay for a sluggish start with Donny van de Beek scoring the game’s only goal after 15 minutes.
Ajax’s performances in the competition this season in knocking out holders Real Madrid and one of the favourites in Cristiano Ronaldo’s Juventus have seen them strongly backed to see out their lead to book a trip to Madrid for the Champions League final on June 1.
But Mauricio Pochettino insists his Spurs side should take plenty away from Lionel Messi’s display at the Nou Camp the following night after they lost to Ajax.
Messi led Barcelona to a 3-0 first-leg win over Liverpool in the other semi-final with two goals in the final 15 minutes, including a stunning 30-yard free-kick to give the Catalan giants sone foot in the final.
And while Pochettino is not expecting his Spurs players to recreate Messi’s silky dribbling or stunning solo goals, the Argentine insists his charges can learn plenty from his compatriot’s sheer will to win.
“Messi is one of the gods of football - his desire to fight with the ball at his feet is unbelievable but it’s without the ball, too,” Pochettino said.
I’m not talking about doing what he does with the ball but without it, showing the desire that he had against Liverpool
“He’s a massive example. When he doesn’t have the ball, he has unbelievable character. It’s how he works for the team.
“If we play like him in the second leg, for sure we are going to have a chance to reach the final.
“I’m not talking about doing what he does with the ball but without it, showing the desire that he had against Liverpool.
“If we don’t, we have no chance. If we play like we played in the first 20 minutes of the first leg, it’s difficult to have a chance.
Tottenham Hotspur vs Ajax: Pochettino reacts to 1-0 loss
“Ajax weren’t better than us but they were when they showed more desire than us.
“We need to show the same desire at Bournemouth - if not, it’s impossible to win. Wednesday will be the same.
“It is so painful when you see Messi’s desire in the other semi-final and you say: ‘Why weren’t we motivated in the same way?’”
Spurs travel to Amsterdam on Wednesday for their return tie (8pm) but first face Bournemouth tomorrow (12.30pm) as they look to make sure of a top-four spot.