Last night's scintillating Champions League semi-final between Barcelona and Liverpool, in which the Redmen overcame a 3-0 deficit to win 4-3 on aggregate, was a game that will live forever, and not just because of the final score. The intensity of play, the electric atmosphere of the Kop and the humbling of La Liga's Catalan giants made it a thriller for die-hards and neutrals alike. Now, however, attention turns to Ajax and Tottenham Hotspur, the two teams competing for the chance to be the B-side of the June 1 final in Madrid.

Up until roughly 24 hours ago, the barometer was swung the other way. This was supposed to be the fixture to decide the A-side. The young boys of Ajax facing off with a Premier League stalwart who had finally got it together was a genuinely exciting premise. After what felt like a lifetime of Iberian domination, there's some fresh meat in the Champions League's final rounds – and there still is, only now it feels as if the winner will be a lamb to Liverpool's slaughter.

That's most likely how Tottenham Hotspur will be feeling now. With one exception in 2017, every game between Tottenham and Liverpool since 2014 has been a draw or a clear Liverpool victory. Of course, having come so far, the outward sentiment is bravado; manager Mauricio Pochettino has spoken of this game with a level of finality. At a press conference on Tuesday, the Argentinian spoke of this game as the final chapter in his English career, saying he would "go home" after winning the trophy. As yesterday's game proved, anything is possible in this tournament, and with the return of Son Heung-min and Jan Vertonghen to the squad (Harry Kane is still out injured), he has a strong squad with him in Amsterdam.

His team is, however, on a run of poor form. Having lost four out of their last five games, on the weekend, what should have been a tune-up game against the ham-and-eggers of Bournemouth turned into a disaster in which two players (Son included) were given red cards and they ultimately lost thanks to a goal by Nathan Ake less than a minute into stoppage time. While it seems their trademark end-of-season collapse was merely delayed rather than cancelled, and the Fairy Godmother is on the verge of turning them from the Spurs back into the Spuds, their opponent's fairytale season has continued to get even more magical.

Ajax are on for a treble, the first part of which was completed this weekend with a 4-0 steamrollering of Willem II in the KNVB Cup final. As with their previous games, the goals came from everywhere: The first from Daley Blind, the last from Rasmus Nissen and sandwiched in between was a delicious brace from club legend Klaas-Jan Huntelaar. Manager Erik ten Hag insists that playing a final so close to a knockout game didn't tire out his team and that they will be ready to capitalize on their 1-0 lead in the second leg.

There's no reason not to believe him. Ajax might have a poor home record this year, having lost or drawn against their last three opponents but those games were against foes significantly bigger, stronger and richer than they are and they, somehow, are still here. In the group stage they stood toe-to-toe with the German giants of Bayern Munich; in the round of 16 they decimated La Decima themselves, Real Madrid; and in the quarterfinals took down their final boss Cristiano Ronaldo and his new squad at Juventus.

They did it fearlessly too, with attacking football and a sense of flair; it's this more than anything else that will decide this tie and beyond. Opportunities such as this come along but once in a lifetime for teams like Ajax and Tottenham, and all fate asks is for one team to be brave enough to seize it.