Real Madrid were eliminated from the 2018/2019 Champions League after losing 1-4 to Ajax in the second leg of the last 16 at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium on Wednesday (6/3).
El Real started the game with an active attack. They have got a golden opportunity when the match runs six minutes. Lucas Vazquez’s pass from the right flank was managed by Raphael Varane’s head in the gold zone in front of goal, but the ball still hit the bar.
One minute later, Toni Kroos’s failure to control the ball well ended in disaster. The ball which was then controlled by Dusan Tadic on the left side of the penalty box was then given to Ziyech who came from behind. Not wasting the opportunity, Ziyech managed to beat Thibaut Courtois by placing the ball to the left side of the goal.
In the 17th minute, starting from an attack utilizing Madrid’s corner got a chance through Varane’s kick which still leads to the arms of Andre Onana.
Again, after almost conceding, Ajax launched an attack that led to a goal. Tadic was the architect of De Godenzonen’s goal by dribbling the ball and swerving into a pirouete past Casemiro before giving David Neres who successfully passed Courtois before firing.
The game runs exciting because both teams are reciprocated with opportunities. After Neres almost scored, Vazquez fired a shot that Andre Onana could still push away. Tadic also helped test Courtois’s toughness.
Vinicius’s wide shot was rewarded with a Ziyech chance denied by Courtois. While Gareth Bale who entered the field in the 30th minute could make the ball hit the Ajax goalpost when the game was approaching the final minute.
In the second half Madrid continued to launch attacks. Marco Asensio, Vinicius’s substitute midway through the first half, fired a shot that was just wide in the 48th minute. Like the Asensio chance, Benzema was unable to direct the ball into the goal a minute later.
Ajax didn’t wait to survive. Counterattack is an option. In the 52nd minute Tadic made Courtois fall back up to secure his goal.
Benzema’s action from the left side through the penalty box in the 59th minute also did not end the goal. His shot did not make the ball lodged in the Ajax goal.
Defending Champions League conceded again in the 62nd minute. Dusan Tadic completed the opportunity with a left foot shot after getting a pass from Donny van de Beek.
But the referee needed to consult more than two minutes to ensure the goal was due to the ball being seen leaving the area when Noussair Mazraoui tried to stop the movement of Sergio Reguilon.
Madrid was able to score a goal in the 70th minute through Asensio’s accurate kick which received feedback from Reguilon.
Madrid’s desire to rise immediately did not last long because Lasse Schone scored Ajax’s fourth goal through a curling free-kick from the left side that Courtois could not anticipate.
Madrid and Ajax had a chance before the match broke up, but the final settlement that was not neat made no more goals created. Ahead of the match broke up Madrid played with 10 people after Nacho Fernandez got a second yellow card.
4-1 score became the final result of this fight and Ajax advanced to the quarter-finals with a 5-3 aggregate advantage.
