• Real Madrid's Nacho Fernandez, centre, in action during the UEFA Champions League round of 16 second leg match against Ajax at the Bernabeu. EPA
    Real Madrid's Nacho Fernandez, centre, in action during the UEFA Champions League round of 16 second leg match against Ajax at the Bernabeu. EPA
  • Real Madrid's Welsh forward Gareth Bale, centre, vies for the ball against Ajax's Cameroonian goalkeeper Andre Onana. AFP
    Real Madrid's Welsh forward Gareth Bale, centre, vies for the ball against Ajax's Cameroonian goalkeeper Andre Onana. AFP
  • Real Madrid's Karim Benzema reacts to a missed chance. EPA
    Real Madrid's Karim Benzema reacts to a missed chance. EPA
  • Real Madrid's German midfielder Toni Kroos, right, challenges Ajax's Serbian forward Dusan Tadic. AFP
    Real Madrid's German midfielder Toni Kroos, right, challenges Ajax's Serbian forward Dusan Tadic. AFP
  • Real Madrid's Sergio Ramos gestures from the stands during the match. Reuters
    Real Madrid's Sergio Ramos gestures from the stands during the match. Reuters
  • Ajax's Cameroonian goalkeeper Andre Onana. AFP
    Ajax's Cameroonian goalkeeper Andre Onana. AFP
  • Real Madrid's Welsh forward Gareth Bale sees his shot saved by Ajax's Cameroonian goalkeeper Andre Onana. AFP
    Real Madrid's Welsh forward Gareth Bale sees his shot saved by Ajax's Cameroonian goalkeeper Andre Onana. AFP
  • Real Madrid's Vinicius Junior leaves the field injured. EPA
    Real Madrid's Vinicius Junior leaves the field injured. EPA
  • Ajax's Serbian forward Dusan Tadic challenges Real Madrid's Croatian midfielder Luka Modric. AFP
    Ajax's Serbian forward Dusan Tadic challenges Real Madrid's Croatian midfielder Luka Modric. AFP
  • Real Madrid's goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois concedes a fourth goal in a 4-1 defeat to Ajax at the Bernabeu. EPA
    Real Madrid's goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois concedes a fourth goal in a 4-1 defeat to Ajax at the Bernabeu. EPA
  • Real Madrid's Welsh forward Gareth Bale looks dejected. AFP
    Real Madrid's Welsh forward Gareth Bale looks dejected. AFP
  • Real Madrid's Spanish midfielder Marco Asensio looks dejected. AFP
    Real Madrid's Spanish midfielder Marco Asensio looks dejected. AFP
  • General view of the scoreboard. Reuters
    General view of the scoreboard. Reuters
  • German referee Felix Brych shows a second yellow card to Real Madrid's Spanish defender Nacho Fernandez. AFP
    German referee Felix Brych shows a second yellow card to Real Madrid's Spanish defender Nacho Fernandez. AFP
  • Real Madrid coach Santiago Solari shakes hands with Ajax coach Erik ten Hag. Reuters
    Real Madrid coach Santiago Solari shakes hands with Ajax coach Erik ten Hag. Reuters
  • Ajax's Cameroonian goalkeeper Andre Onana celebrates. AFP
    Ajax's Cameroonian goalkeeper Andre Onana celebrates. AFP
  • Ajax players celebrate. AFP
    Ajax players celebrate. AFP
  • Ajax players celebrate. AFP
    Ajax players celebrate. AFP
  • Real Madrid's Luka Modric looks dejected at the end of the match. Reuters
    Real Madrid's Luka Modric looks dejected at the end of the match. Reuters

Ajax's European adventure far from over, says captain Matthijs de Ligt


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Ajax captain Matthijs de Ligt is confident his side can go on to cause more Champions League mayhem after booking a surprise quarter-final place with a stunning upset victory over defending champions Real Madrid.

Four-time European champions Ajax overcame a 2-1 first-leg deficit, triumphing 4-1 at the Bernabeu in Tuesday's second leg to advance 5-3 on aggregate and send the Spanish giants crashing out.

"We will see how far we go but we are certainly not finished yet," the teenage defender told Dutch reporters.

"We made it difficult for Bayern Munich," he said of Ajax's performance in the group phase, "and now we've knocked Real Madrid out.

"It was no surprise to us. Real give a lot of room away and if you are prepared to play football you know you can make it very difficult for them."

The 19 year old said Ajax were more clinical in Madrid than they had been during their narrow home defeat in the first leg.

"The only thing we didn't do in that game was score [enough] but tonight we got our first two chances into the net," he added. "Were we at our best? I think so, otherwise you don't beat a team like Real Madrid.

"We knew it would be difficult but that there would also be opportunities."

Manager Erik ten Hag said the performance had been "as close to perfection as you can get" and that his young Ajax side deserved to progress.

"Everything worked for us but we forced that ourselves," he added. "I think that over the two matches we proved we were good enough to advance and it was with great class that we were able to show our qualities in Madrid."