
Tottenham Hotspur's comeback win over Ajax on Wednesday was incredible, but it was no "Miracle of Anfield" from the day before.
That was the consensus of fans The Straits Times spoke to, who pointed to Liverpool's 4-0 thumping of Lionel Messi-led Barcelona as being more impressive than Spurs' 3-2 win in Amsterdam.
Both English sides had trailed 3-0 in their respective ties, but overturned the deficit to book their spot in the June 1 final at the Wanda Metropolitano Arena in Madrid.
Elliott Danker, senior presenter on Money FM 89.3, said: "Even as a Manchester United fan, I have to give it to Liverpool.
"When you consider they're also fighting for the Premier League and that race has gone down to the wire, and with the thought they might end the season empty-handed at the back of their minds - to overcome that is so impressive.
"The moment I went into office the next day and saw a few of my colleagues who are Liverpool fans, I had to tell them: Respect."
Arsenal fan and Singapore Management University undergraduate Victoria Lim, 23, added: "We got to see the power of Liverpool playing at Anfield.
Other great recoveries
2016-17 LAST 16
Paris Saint-Germain, up 4-0 from the home leg, collapsed at the Nou Camp. Barcelona won 6-1 to advance 6-5 on aggregate, only to be eliminated by Italy's Juventus.
2005 FINAL
Liverpool, 3-0 down at half-time against AC Milan, scored thrice in the second half. The English side went on to win the shoot-out 3-2 after Jerzy Dudek saved the final penalty from Andriy Shevchenko.
2003-04 QUARTER-FINAL
Spanish club Deportivo La Coruna lost the first leg 4-1 to defending champions AC Milan but won 4-0 at home to qualify for the semi-finals, where they were stopped by eventual champions, Jose Mourinho's Porto.
"They played with so much passion, grit and belief. It was a great match and comeback, regardless of which club you support.
"When they sang (club anthem You'll Never Walk Alone) after the match, I got goosebumps."
A Twitter poll conducted by STsportsdesk saw almost three quarters of the over 600 respondents pick Liverpool's result as the more impressive of the two ties.
United fan Vighnesh Vasanthanathan, 25, said the quality of opposition was what made the Reds' triumph more remarkable.
"At the end of the day, Ajax are a team still growing in maturity," said the Republic Polytechnic student. "They had youth everywhere on the pitch and, when it mattered most, Spurs had the experienced players to give them the edge."
The final will be the first between two English teams since 2008, when United beat Chelsea on penalties, and Newcastle United fan Irfan Rahman, 32, believes it reflects the current strength of the league.
"To me, it shows the Premier League is the best in the world," said the assistant executive. "When you consider Liverpool and Spurs have both not won the Premier League title but are now in the Champions League final, it shows just how competitive the league is."
Whether the EPL is the best in the world is debatable, said Danker, 37, but it is "the most entertaining and most talked-about".
He added: "An all-English Champions League final, and Liverpool making their second in a row, will make (that reputation) better.
"Plus, last year England reached their first World Cup semi-final since 1990. Maybe fans can now expect Ballon d'Or winners and other world-class players moving to the Premier League soon."
- Additional reporting by Xener Gill

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