Above is the starting 11 of the Real Madrid team.
Above is the starting 11 of the Ajax team.
AJAX OF AMSTERDAM had a very clear game plan, exploit their pace with very accurate & efficient counter-attacks. The Dutch would allow the Spanish team to play in their area & with every mistake, missed goal chance or error pounce with deadly surgical precision with overwhelming men in the Real Madrid goal area. Simple. So basic that this strategy was utilized the whole match with Real Madrid not being able to halt the Dutch or find an antidote.
Finding a solution from REAL MADRID would always be difficult if the team is down psychologically for a string off important local League defeats, NOT ABLE to score goals & two injuries to Lucas vazquez & Vinicius JR in the first 30 minutes of play. This is not an excuse, it just highlights that tonight was going to be a nightmare, the worst dream possible for Real Madrid.
Real Madrid missed goals, hit the post a couple of times & within their growing frustration came the silly mistakes. A terrible TONI KROOS back passed lead to the first goal of Ajax which ZIYECH scored in the 7th min, a deep & fast counter in the 18th min allowed NERES to score the second, this shook Real Madrid.
The nerves took over, the frustration set in & the local supporters turned on their team in disbelief. However, Ajax kept to their game plan while Real Madrid failed to react or counter their hosts. Forced to attack Madrid had to look for goals, REAL MADRID in doing so "allowed AJAX" to exercise more often the counter-attack, & this is what happened.
Real Madrid started strong in the 2º half but once again without goal effectiveness, the opportunities were created but no one to score the goals. Reality finally made it clear, if you exit a player that gives you 40-50 goals (+10 in Champions) like Cristiano Ronaldo per season, you need to replace that asset with someone similar or spread the goal scoring across players. Its mathematics. Luck finally ran out tonight.
Ajax quickly regained the situation & continued with their work. The third goal came in the 62nd min from TADIC after a long consultation with VAR over a possible over the sideline ball beforehand. At this stage Real Madrid was rattled, but managed to get a glimpse of hope when finally ASENSIO managed to pull one back for Real in the 70th min. But, this was a horror movie for the locals tonight & from a free-kick SCHONE surprised goalie COURTOIS to score the 4th goal in the 72nd min, secure the victory & passage for Ajax into the next stage of the Champions League.
Things got absurd & surreal when Benzema slipped in front of goal to miss a sitter & GARETH BALE injured his ankle towards the end. Not only had REAL MADRID lost tonight, they get eliminated from Champions League & lost 3 key players to injury: Vazquez, Vinicius & Bale. But the terror week was more definitive: in 7 days, just in a week, Real Madrid has been eliminated from the Spanish Cup, lost twice at home to FC Barcelona (with loss of options in the race of La Liga title) & eliminated from Champions League. Basically their season has ended tonight. Ironic, tragic & perhaps bad luck, but the poor planning of pre-season & the unavailability of signing a competent center forward has hit hard.
For Ajax, a great night & excellent historic display & victory. They deserved to move forward into Champions League to keep their chances alive. Young, fast & dedicated players that showed great maturity & calmness. Well done.
Real Madrid? Well, avalanche of criticisms forthcoming, players will be signalled out, Coach Solari can say goodbye to his Coaching position next season... a revolution is in the horizon. Will be interesting to see how things develop & who gets the boot. Stay tuned!
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