3 Reasons why Real Madrid lost to Ajax

#2 Real Madrid’s non-existent midfield

Kroos had another wretched night

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.