Ajax Amsterdam's teenaged captain Matthijs de Ligt described their semifinal exit from the Champions League as a "nightmare" after the Dutch side were undone by Lucas Moura's 96th minute strike for Tottenham Hotspur on Wednesday.

"It's a nightmare, like a dream that went bad," the 19-year-old told Dutch television shortly after the 3-2 home loss saw Tottenham Hotspur through to the final against Liverpool in Madrid on June 1. Spurs won on the away goals rule.

Ajax let slip a 2-0 half-time lead, and 3-0 aggregate advantage, as Spurs came storming back in the second half.

"We played well in the first half, we had it all our way," he added.

"We didn't keep up the same pressure in the second half.

"We gave silly goals away. We were so close to the final ... and then the ball goes in. Unbelievable."

Moura squeezed in a shot six minutes into stoppage time to complete his hat trick and a stunning comeback for the Premier League side.

"We were so close, we had so deserved it, but that last second...," Ajax manager Erik ten Hag said before trailing off.

"I told the players in the break that it wasn't over yet, you could tell by the attitude of the Tottenham players. They still believed in it.

"I can't blame anyone. We have had an incredible Champions League season and have grown a lot as a team. It is difficult to process."