Superb Ajax eliminate Real Madrid from Champions League

Ajax went to the Santiago Bernabeu and knocked out the reigning European champions.

In a night they will be hard to forget, Ajax went away to the reigning champions and completely steamrolled Real Madrid en route to a 4-1 victory.

Having already been knocked out of the Copa del Rey and lost the league, both to Barcelona, Ajax came into the game and poured salt in that wound. The Dutch side had everything working for them and got a just result.

When Ajax first drew Real Madrid, many may have felt, and why wouldn’t they, that it was a favorable tie for Madrid and the Spanish giants should go through. Despite not playing well in the first leg, Madrid won 2-1 with Ajax being the better side but failing to finish their chances. But Ajax did not let the occasion get the better of them.

The side managed by Erik ten Hag stayed true to their style and did not change or do anything different from the first leg. They played better from the onset and the offense combined well in attack. This time around, the difference was that they were able to convert those chances into goal and did they ever.

Hakim Ziyech finished off a well-constructed team goal and Ajax were off to the races. Ten minutes later David Neres chipped Thibaut Courtois following a pass from Dusan Tadic after a beautiful spin move to create space. Just like that, in under twenty minutes, Ajax had completely turned around the tie.

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Up by two in the second-half, the Dutch side did not rest on their laurels. They continued to play their game and created a few more chances but were unable to score. In the back, Matthijs de Ligt was a rock and snuffed out any Real Madrid attack. He continues to show why he’s a player wanted by the big clubs in Europe.

Ajax gave themselves more breathing room when a goal by Tadic was reviewed and confirmed by VAR. Marco Asensio got one back for Madrid but just a few moments later, Lasse Schone scored off a free-kick that left many questioning whether he meant to shoot at goal and questioning whether Courtois should have done more. After that, Ajax pretty much killed any hope that the Asensio goal had given los blancos. 

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Much of the talk is going to focus on Real Madrid and how in less than a week, their season is over as they have nothing left to play for. About Gareth Bale and his future at the club as well as other players like Toni Kroos, Karim Benzema, and even Sergio Ramos. But this result has more to do with Ajax than the deficiencies from Madrid.

Ajax went into this game with nothing to lose and knowing they could get a result if they played like they did in the first leg. Once that first goal went in, all the pressure was on Real Madrid and the Dutch side did well to play with that pressure. They pressured them up high and always seemed to be first to any loose ball. Despite being on the younger side, Ajax played well beyond their years and deserved to go through. Not one of their players had a bad game and it showed the difference between them and their rival.

Ajax went into this game with a plan and stuck to it. Madrid never looked like they had a plan and they looked even more disjointed once they fell behind. While they are going to be missing a few players due to booking accumulations, this Ajax side is a side no one will want to face in the quarter-finals.