Remember, this was the second leg of the Round of 16. To progress, Ajax had to escape the hole they dug for themselves losing 2-1 to Real Madrid in Amsterdam two weeks ago. Yes, Madrid barely won the reverse fixture but they were still heavy favorites to progress. For God’s sake, this team has won the Champions League three years running. To advance, not only would Ajax have to win, they would have to score at least twice to rule out Madrid’s two away goals. Even if Ajax scored twice, but Madrid scored once, their only routes to victory would be through an outright aggregate win or a win in the penalty shootout. Sergio Ramos’ actions at the end of the first leg were a testament to the Madrid confidence. The man was willing to deliberately commit a dirty foul, knowing the inevitable yellow card would suspend him for the second leg. Even without Madrid’s captain at the helm, Ajax had a mountain to climb if they had any desire to reach the quarterfinals.

Ajax, however, began their climb at a relentless sprint. Channeling the spirit of the total-footballing squads that preceded them, Ajax attacked Madrid for the entirety of the 90 minutes. That being said, Madrid provided the Dutch team with many chances as a result of their shoddy, Ramos-less defending.

Just seven minutes into the match, Madrid lost possession in their own half, exposing themselves to their opponents' blistering attack. The goal was inevitable.