During the first leg of the clash between La Liga giant Real Madrid and former European powerhouse Ajax, in the Round of 16 of the Champions League, Madrid took the lead by one goal resulting in a 2-1 win which gave them the advantage in the second leg. It seemed, through fan favorites as well as overall performance, that Real Madrid was going to advance to the quarter-finals and had finally filled in the void in their offense left by Ronaldo. However, in a huge upset, Ajax was able to go against all odds and progress to the quarter-finals as Real Madrid blundered in the second leg.
To start the game off, during its first minutes, Hakim Ziyech scored, finishing a well-aimed assist at the bottom right corner of the goal, equalizing the score in aggregate. After a pass from Dušan Tadić, Neres managed to net a goal placing the score at 2-3 in the accumulation of both legs. In the first 18 minutes of this match, Ajax had caught up to and surpassed Real Madrid. A wonderful left-foot shot from Dušan Tadić resulting in Ajax’s first goal in the second half only helped widen the gap between both scores. However, Madrid made an effort to retaliate as Marco Ascencio scored their first goal in the second leg. Nonetheless, this goal was deemed pointless when Lasse Schone scored a free-kick sealing off the difference in their points as the game ended with Nacho getting a red card for an aggressive defense.
Although Madrid triumphed in almost all aspects of the leg, including possession and strong attacking, they fell to Ajax for obviously apparent reasons. One of these reasons was Madrid's striker crisis which is why the Spanish powerhouse could not score. Vinicius's lack of finishing ability combined with Bale’s inability to shoot the ball as strong or accurately as Ronaldo. Meanwhile, Modric's incapacity to create the plays he won many awards for contributed to the scarcity of goals on Madrid’s side and resulted in their poor performance against Ajax.
Moreover, most of the attempts at goal for Real Madrid followed a similar pattern. As Madrid pressed with many men towards the Ajax goal, Ajax only used a few men to retaliate with intense and fervent pressure, and after stealing the ball, was successful in their intense counterattack, another main reason for the lack of goals from Madrid. They made easy 4 on 3 opportunities. Furthermore, lax defending, as well as ineffective marking of players, resulted in the final score of the game.
Madrid’s relatively early loss compared to their Champions League win last year only adds to the wounds to lick as they resume La Liga in third place. Nonetheless, Ajax’s win marks a great comeback, and quite possibly, their return as a major European Powerhouse. Their manager was able to devise a game plan smart enough to outwit Real Madrid, and although it was only perfected in the second leg, it displays Ajax’s potential to win the cup.
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