Ahead of Tottenham Hotspur’s Europa League semi-final second leg tie, Lucas Moura has opened up on his famous, magical Champions League hat-trick back in 2019 against Ajax in Amsterdam.
Six years ago today, Lucas Moura gave Tottenham Hotspur fans one of their fondest memories in modern history. A hat-trick in the semi-finals of the UEFA Champions League, in a game where it looked like Tottenham were heading for the exit.
Spurs were 2-0 down on the night and trailing 3-0 on aggregate, with the tie seemingly out of reach, but Lucas Moura struck twice in quick succession before completing his hat-trick with a dramatic last-minute winner.
It was simply elation and joy for every Tottenham fan as the Lilywhites earned a spot in the UCL final in Madrid. Today, Tottenham are set to embark on another European semi-final tie, although in a different competition.
This time, they go in with a two-goal advantage, after beating Norwegian champions Bodo/Glimt 3-1 at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in the first leg of their Europa League semi-final tie.
Lucas Moura relives Champions League magic with Tottenham
Spurs fans will be hoping for a far less dramatic affair this time around, though with European football, the script rarely goes to plan.
Ahead of Thursday’s match, the club sat down with Lucas Moura to revisit the legendary 2018/19 UEFA Champions League campaign. And as you would expect, his recollections were filled with detail, emotion and clarity.
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When asked about the group stage memories from that campaign, Moura told the official Tottenham website: “The group was tough. I remember the first game against Inter away, we were playing well and took the lead, then conceded two goals and lost the game.
“Then away to PSV, when I scored but we conceded at the end to draw. The last game was away against Barcelona. When I scored, it was a good feeling but at the same time, we did not know if we could celebrate because to qualify depended on the other game between Inter and PSV.
“So, it was strange when we finished the match but then we saw the fans celebrating and we knew it was okay and we had qualified!”
Reflecting on the knockout victories over Borussia Dortmund and Manchester City, Moura continued: “We played really well in the two games against Borussia Dortmund. We had that incredible 3-0 win at home, and I remember Jan Vertonghen scored and did his amazing celebration, then we beat them away 1-0, playing very well again.
“Against City, it was a crazy game. The second leg was incredible, it was a test for our hearts. I remember at the beginning, we conceded, then scored twice in five minutes.
“Near the end of the game, I was subbed off, so I was on the bench and when they scored I started to cry, I just thought ‘no, it is not possible’.
“I was looking down and crying, then I looked at the TV and saw that it was offside. I kept crying but this time because I was happy. After that game, I was sure we would qualify for the final.”
Lucas Moura details emotions behind Ajax hat-trick for Spurs
Speaking about the big semi-final tie, Moura was asked about his mindset after Tottenham Hotspur lost the first leg 0-1 to Ajax.
“The feeling was bad because the expectation was so high after the City game, then we lost at home to Ajax. Even so, I was confident and motivated, I was sure we would qualify. After the game, I came over to the fans and I said, ‘come on, let us go, we will qualify still’.”
On being 0-3 down on aggregate in the second leg and whether a comeback ever felt likely, the Brazilian added: “We started the second leg well, only to concede two quick goals and it was very difficult at that stage. I remember at half-time, Mauricio Pochettino said, ‘come on, we just need to score one goal, if we score once we are back in the game’ and that was the same feeling I had.
“At the start of the second half, our pressure was high and they could not play as they were used to. About 10 minutes in, I scored the first goal and then scored the second five minutes later. We were playing well, and I thought, ‘it is our night, tonight we will qualify, we will score again’.
“We had done the most difficult part, now we had 30 minutes to score one more goal. The game became a bit confused, we were conceding counter-attacks and so were they, then we hit the crossbar through Jan and the game started to be crazy.
“Towards the end of the game, I felt that if I got a chance again, I will just shoot, so when the ball came to me, I just shot with my left foot and when I saw the ball hit the net, I did not know what to do or how to celebrate. It was a mixture of feelings – incredible, magic.”
Describing his iconic hat-trick, Moura added: “Like I said before, I felt that if I stayed close to the goal then I would shoot whenever the ball came to me. Dele made a good pass, I do not know if he saw me or not, but it was a great assist.
“I hit the ball, and it went exactly where it had to go. It is impossible to describe the feeling when I saw the ball hit the back of the net. It was amazing. Everyone, even the players on the bench, came and jumped on me and celebrated with me, amazing.
“It was a very good performance from the team, of course I scored the three goals, but no-one can do anything alone, it was a great team performance and, of course, the most magical moment in my career. I will never forget that moment, I will keep it in my heart forever.”