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Ajax 1-2 Madrid: ft

Ajax 1-2 Madrid: ft

Ajax host Real Madrid in Amsterdam this evening; as last year's Champions travel to Holland for their Round of 16 match. 





MATCH FACTS 
  • Ajax have lost their last six games in European competition against Real Madrid, scoring only two goals and conceding 20. Ajax’s last victory against the Merengues dates back to November 1995, a 2-0 Champions League group stage victory at the Bernabeu with goals from Jari Litmanen and Patrick Kluivert.
  • There’s only ever been one draw between Ajax and Real Madrid – it came in their first ever competitive encounter, a European Cup first round match in Amsterdam back in 1967/68 which ended 1-1. The opening goal of the game was scored by Johan Cruyff.
  • Ajax were one of five teams to remain unbeaten in this season’s Champions League group stages, along with Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Lyon and Porto.
  • Ajax have lost just one of their last 21 European home matches (W13 D7), winning five of their six matches at the Johan Cruyff Arena so far in 2018/19, qualifiers included.
  • 10 of Ajax’s 11 goals in this season’s Champions League have been scored in the second-half (91%). Meanwhile, 80% of goals conceded by the Dutch side have come from set-piece (4 out of 5).
  • It’s been 22 years since Ajax progressed through a Champions League knockout stage – it was in the 1996/97 campaign when the Dutch side overcame Atlético Madrid in the quarter-finals before being eliminated by Juventus in the semi-finals.
  • Real Madrid have won the Champions League four times in the last five seasons. In fact, Juventus were the last team to eliminate Real in a Champions League knockout phase, back in the 2014/15 semi-finals.
  • Real Madrid have reached the Champions League knockout stages for the 22nd consecutive season, a record run in the history of the competition. This includes making it to the semis in each of the last eight campaigns, also a record run.
  • Real Madrid had more shots (120) and touches inside the opposition box (237) than any other team in this season’s Champions League group stages.
  • Dusan Tadic has scored five of Ajax’s last six goals in the Champions League. He has the best conversion rate of any player with at least five goals in this season’s competition, finding the net with 45% of his shots (5 out of 11).
  • Gareth Bale has scored five goals in his last six Champions League games, that’s as many as in his previous 32 appearances in the competition. However, he’s found the net in only two of his last 23 knockout games, both times in the final (2014 and 2018).
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