Ajax 2019

Coach: Erik ten Hag

Erik ten Hag's young Ajax side produced one of the most thrilling underdog runs the modern Champions League has seen, built around a midfield trio of Frenkie de Jong, Donny van de Beek and captain-in-waiting Matthijs de Ligt at centre-back, with Hakim Ziyech and David Neres supplying width and Dušan Tadić repurposed as a false nine to devastating effect. Ajax eliminated holders Real Madrid in the round of 16, winning 4-1 away at the Bernabéu after a narrow first-leg loss, then knocked out reigning champions Juventus — Cristiano Ronaldo and all — in the quarter-final. The run ended in agonising fashion in the semi-final against Tottenham: Ajax led 2-0 on aggregate deep into the second leg in Amsterdam, only for Lucas Moura to complete a hat-trick with a stoppage-time winner that sent Spurs through on away goals. The squad's brilliance made its subsequent break-up almost inevitable — de Jong to Barcelona, de Ligt to Juventus, and further departures over the following seasons — but the run reminded European football that a well-coached academy side could still trouble the continent's superclubs on a fraction of their budget.