Tottenham praise the way Sissoko energised midfield from the bench against Ajax

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Tottenham did not get out of the blocks at all during the early part of their Champions League semi final against Ajax last night.

The three-man backline Mauricio Pochettino sent out – through the necessity of whoever was available moreso than tactical preference – failed to get near the Dutch league leaders, who deservedly took the lead through Donny van de Beek.

But Jan Vertonghen’s nasty head injury – after which he should never have even attempted to come back on – meant that Moussa Sissoko was summoned early from the bench, allowing Spurs to shift into a four-man defence behind a diamond midfield.

That transformed the game; Spurs were suddenly able to plug the gaps a lot better than in the second half, they were the side in the ascendancy.

Although the home side were able to summon up enough creativity to get what would have been a crucial equaliser, they were lifted by the 29-year-old’s midfield display.

The supporters on Twitter recognised that too, and remain optimistic ahead of the second leg. That’s in part due to the fact Heung-min Son will be back for the return, but also because of Sissoko’s display.

https://twitter.com/andreasloftager/status/1123362670869131264

https://twitter.com/light_deok/status/1123375163838349312