Lucas Moura may not have won any titles in the time he spent at Tottenham Hotspur, but there’s a specific event he’ll forever be marked by.
That’s the 2018/19 Champions League semifinal against Ajax, when he scored a heroic hat-trick which took Spurs through.
It’s now been five years since that game took place, and ESPN Brasil today features a special story with the former Tottenham player.
Moura became the hero during an unlikely comeback for Tottenham, leaving Ajax players stunned at missing out on the Champions League final.
“We started the second half pressing Ajax more, with a different attitude. Five minutes into the second half, I scored the first goal. After another five minutes, I scored the second. Then I thought: ‘We’ve done the hardest thing, which was equalise. We’ve got another 30 minutes to score just one more goal’.
The player also labelled that game as the most special match he’s ever played.
“The Champions League is the most coveted competition in the world. That game, as an individual performance, is the most magical game. Every week I get messages on social media talking about that game. When I’m watching the Champions League, I remember that game. It was a huge milestone in my career, in my life.”
Moura joined Tottenham on a €28.4m move from Paris Saint Germain in January 2018, and stayed at the club until the summer of 2023. In his time with Spurs, he scored 39 goals and contributed 27 assists in 221 appearances.
The player then returned to Brazil, where he’s been playing for his beloved São Paulo. His spell there has been good so far, with them winning the cup last year, although his injury problems have been causing a bit of trouble.
