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Real Madrid was stunned by Ajax at the Santiago Bernabeu with the Dutch side emerging 4-1 winners. The victory sent the latter through on aggregate while Real Madrid was left licking its wounds.
Ajax rocked the home side early and took the lead on the night through Hakim Ziyech in the 7th minute. Eleven minutes later, the visitors doubled their advantage courtesy a smart finish by David Neres.
Real Madrid went into the break a goal down on aggregate and it sparked a response at the start of the second half. However, Ajax firmly tilted the scales in their favour when Dusan Tadic rifled the ball into the top corner just after the hour mark.
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Marco Asensio pulled a goal back for the hosts but the away side hit back almost immediately as Lasse Schone curled a delicious free-kick beyond the hapless Thibaut Courtois.
The defeat in the Round of 16 tie piled more misery on the Los Blancos with the Madrid outfit now in serious danger of ending the 2018-19 season empty-handed.
Here is a look at the three reasons that led to Real Madrid’s downfall:
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#3 Real Madrid’s defensive deficiencies come to the fore again
Real Madrid’s European exploits over the years have been built on a sturdy defence. The stability at the back allowed their flair players to weave magic in the attacking third. However, this term, they’ve been woeful defensively and it reached a nadir against Ajax.
The Dutch side ran the Los Blancos ragged on the latter’s home patch and one would’ve been forgiven to think if the former was the one with three successive Champions League crowns.
The gulf in class was quite surprising as Real Madrid’s defence always seemed a step behind their Dutch counterparts. The likes of Nacho and Raphael Varane could never get close to the Ajax forwards and they were made to pay heavily.
Additionally, Dani Carvajal and Sergio Reguilon had a bad day at the office as the pair struggled against Ziyech and Neres’ directness.
On many an occasion this season, Real Madrid has capitulated in the defensive third. Yet, not many envisaged them getting annihilated in such fashion by any opposition, let alone Ajax.
Though the general consensus would be that the Los Blancos missed a certain Portuguese, the harsh reality is that their rear-guard was just appallingly poor against Ajax. Deservedly, they were sent packing.
#2 Real Madrid’s non-existent midfield
On paper, Real Madrid boast one of the best midfield trios in world football. The brawn of Casemiro coupled with the brains of Toni Kroos and Luka Modric should make them a tough proposition to tackle. Yet, against Ajax, the triumvirate were left chasing shadows.
Frenkie de Jong and Schone shone in the middle of the park with the former impressive in the first half. Additionally, Donny van de Beek frequently dropped deep to provide numbers in the middle and whiz past the hosts’ midfield.
Though neither of Modric, Kross or Casemiro lived up to their standards, the German in particular, was wretched throughout the game. The midfielder’s usually precise passes went astray on several occasions and his touch let him down too.
Moreover, the away side regularly scythed through the home side with the latter’s midfield completely overrun.
While a case could be made for Ajax to have exponentially exceeded their expectations, one can’t take away the fact that the Los Blancos were shambolic in the centre of the park.
IIt is said that football games are won or lost in midfield. And through the course of the game, Real Madrid lent enormous weight to the adage by contriving to achieve the latter.
#1 Dusan Tadic
The Serbian has been a bit of an enigma over the years. Having carved a niche for himself with FC Twente, he pursued newer pastures and ended up at Southampton. On the south coast, he showcased his genius at times but didn’t do justice to his vast talent. However, since moving back to Netherlands with Ajax, he has looked a man possessed.
In the second leg, Dusan Tadic produced one of the best individual performances at the Santiago Bernabeu this decade. The Serbian was entrusted with playing as a false nine and he fulfilled his role with aplomb.
The forward dragged the Real Madrid defence into uncomfortable areas with his propensity to drop into midfield causing headaches. He expertly linked up with his teammates and laid on two assists. Though the first was relatively straight-forward, the second smacked of class and confidence in equal measure.
The Serbian found himself in a spot of bother in the middle. But, instead of going backwards, he held onto the ball, adroitly pirouetted beyond the defenders and played a perfectly weighted pass for Neres.
He capped off his display with an equally sumptuous goal to kill the tie. After being found in space on the edge of the box, he cut inside dexterously and smashed a shot into the top corner.
In the years gone by, not many players have come to the Bernabeu and run the show on their own. (a certain Lionel Messi and Ronaldinho spring to mind)
Yet, Tadic arrived in the Spanish capital on Tuesday, grabbed the bull by the horns and single-handedly powered Ajax into the last eight.
