Tottenham midfielder Moussa Sissoko says his side cannot afford to be left with any regrets if they are to keep their Champions League dream alive.
Spurs have it all to do in their semi-final with Ajax after they lost the first leg 1-0 at home on Tuesday night, meaning they have to go to Amsterdam and win next week.
That is not out of the question as Sissoko’s introduction in the first half at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium prompted a more direct approach from Spurs which turned the game in their favour.
Mauricio Pochettino’s side did not have the quality to take advantage, but with Son Heung-min, and maybe even Harry Kane, back for the second leg, they have genuine hope of turning the tie around.
“Now we have to give everything without regrets and we’ll see what will happen,” Sissoko, who was making his return following a three-game absence with a groin injury, said.
“Now we play the second leg of the semi-final, we don’t have to think too much, it’s to give 100 per cent because it’s not every season we have the chance to play a semi-final of the Champions League.
“It’s something historic for us, for the club. We want to enjoy the moment, keep going and get to the final.”
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Spurs have an impressive record in European away trips over the last two seasons having won at Borussia Dortmund twice, drawn with Real Madrid, Barcelona and Juventus and scoring three times at Manchester City to seal an away-goals win.
And Sissoko knows his side can go anywhere and put on a performance.
“Of course, we’re not scared of any teams,” he said. “We qualified against Man City, one of the best teams in the world and not many people believed in us but we did it.
“It’ll be the same against Ajax. We lost the first game, everyone knows it’ll be difficult.
The introduction of Moussa Sissoko changed the game for Spurs against Ajax (Mike Egerton/PA)
“They have a lot of quality but I’m sure we can go there and go to the final.”
Ajax showcased exactly how they went to Real Madrid and Juventus and earned landmark wins with a brilliant display in the opening 30 minutes, which should have yielded more goals than the Donny Van De Beek effort that separated the two teams.
They did hit the post through David Neres as Spurs pushed for a late leveller, but midfielder Lasse Schone admits his side struggled with a more physical approach from the hosts.
“We would rather have had a goal more, but to get the win was the most important,” he said.
The Ajax way of playing is the most beautiful way of playing…— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) May 1, 2019
“We played well for the first 30 minutes but the second half was more a game of physical duels and battles and that is not our cup of tea.
“We maybe gave them the ball too much but we didn’t give them too much chances.”
Schone is also wary of the returning Son for the second leg in Amsterdam next week.
He added: “He is on a roll, he played incredibly in the last couple of games. Of course it is going to be better for them and worse for us but we play at home.”
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