Benzema joins the 60 club: key winners and losers as Real Madrid leave it late against Ajax

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Real Madrid take a 2-1 lead back to the Bernabeu after edging past Ajax in the Champions League Round of 16 first-leg.  

It was a tense affair at the Johan Cruijff ArenA, with the Amsterdam club dominating large spells of the match and attacking with elan. Real were uncharacteristically off pace, but showed their mettle by scoring two away goals.

Real broke the deadlock in the second half, Vinicius Junior teeing up Karim Benzema for the opening goal, but Hakim Ziyech brought the sides level just 15 minutes later with a cool finish.

However, it would be Santiago Solari who would have the last laugh, with Marco Asensio coming off from the bench to net the winner in the dying embers, tapping in from a scintillating Dani Carvajal cross.

And so, after a riveting affair in the Dutch capital, who were the winners and losers?

Winner: Frenkie de Jong

The soon-to-be Barcelona man was pure poetry in motion tonight and his performance would have left those in Catalonia purring with excitement at the prospect their new recruit lining up alongside the likes of Sergio Busquets and Ivan Rakitic.

However, for the other Spanish giants, Real Madrid, well they got their first taste of trying to contain the midfield marvel, and they struggled to outmuscle and outclass the Dutch metronome, who dictated the tempo of play, set the tone for the match, and sprayed passes with an innate accuracy.

De Jong was simply sensational, and he could yet fill the discernible void that has been left by Andres Iniesta at the Camp Nou, if his performance tonight, against one of Europe’s heavyweights, is anything to go by.

This was the 21-year-old’s dress rehearsal for life against Los Blancos, and he more than passed the test. With the stadium lights aglow in Amsterdam, Frenkie de Jong showcased his worth, and made his £65m price look a absolute snip.

Loser: Gareth Bale

Fresh off scoring a century of goals for Real Madrid at the weekend, Bale failed to leave a lasting impression in the Dutch capital this evening, producing a lukewarm performance as Ajax looked the more threatening going forward.

The Welshman remains a polarising figure in the Spanish capital, and has divided opinion since relocating to the Bernabeu, and while a lot of that stinging criticism has been a tad excessive, the 29-year-old hasn’t really fulfilled his potential.

His career has been blighted by persistent injury problems, but he tends to pop up with big goals on big occasions, and he averages nearly a goal every two games – not bad for a wide player.

However, tonight he was largely anonymous and failed to have the impact of Vinicius Junior, who was equally anonymous at times, but came up with one of the  decisive moments, going on a mazy run before teeing up Benzema for the opening goal.

Winner: Karim Benzema

Benzema has scored seven goals in seven games and has now joined the highly illustrious 60 Champions League goals club, sitting alongside Cristiano Ronaldo (121), Lionel Messi (106) and Raul (71).

The Frenchman’s time in Madrid looked over last summer with his goals drying up in recent seasons, but since Solari took the helm, the veteran marksman has rediscovered his poacher’s touch.

With the match heavily poised and heading towards a stalemate, Benzema broke the deadlock in the 60th minute, smashing a pinpoint strike right out of the top drawer, leaving Andre Onana with no chance.

Benzema has been the catalyst of Real’s resurgence since Julen Lopetegui parted the club; his ability in the No 9 role is second to none, and Real will struggle to find another centre-forward who possesses his capabilities when his time in Spain comes to an end.

Loser: Thibaut Courtois

The Belgian has come under heavy fire during his short tenure in the Spanish capital, and his reputation took another hit this evening after the former Chelsea gloveman fumbled the ball for what would have been Ajax’s opening goal, were it not for VAR to spare his blushes.

The mountainous shot-stopper has split the opinion of Real’s faithful since relocating to the Bernabeu, and he remains – like Bale – a polarising figure in the capital, though unlike Bale, that anger is mainly from Atletico Madrid supporters, who remain incensed with his decision to join their bitter rivals.

Courtois made a number of notable saves tonight, and demonstrated his top-level dexterity between the sticks – of which there can be no denying – but his near-error only highlighted the concern surrounding him.

Make no mistake, Courtois has not been as bad as some have made out, in fact, he has saved his side on a few occasions this season, but tonight he nearly cost his side.

Winner: Dusan Tadic

Based on his form since signing for Ajax, and especially tonight’s performance against the reigning European champions, Southampton fans should feel aggrieved that their club only sold Tadic for £10m – a pittance in the current transfer market.

The 30-year-old was the fulcrum of Ajax’s attacking panache this evening. Operating as a false nine, Tadic combined his sensational hold-up play with a technical verve, which allowed his attacking counterparts – David Neres and Hakim Ziyech – license to flourish in the final third.

Known for his play from the wing, Tadic was sublime playing in a more unconventional role through the middle, though he has acclimatised to the position fluidly since joining the club.

Erik ten Hag should be praised for converting the winger to a central forward, and Mark Hughes should be criticised for selling him and buying Mohamed Elyounoussi to replace him.

Winner: VAR

The decision, the big decision of the match has split opinion across the board, which is the very thing VAR was suppose to cut out, however, and it is a bitter pill to swallow, but it was the correct decision.

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Tadic does appear to be impeding Courtois for Nicolas Tagliafico’s header, even if the Belgian would still not have saved the shot if Tadic wasn’t there. It was a massive call, but ultimately, the correct call.

Some will feel aggrieved it worked in the favour of Real Madrid, especially with Ajax dominating the play at the time, but Damir Skomina had little choice in making the decision.

The post Benzema joins the 60 club: key winners and losers as Real Madrid leave it late against Ajax appeared first on Squawka News.



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