Ajax stun Real Madrid with Champions League comeback

Holders Real Madrid crashed out of the Champions League as Ajax produced a stunning 4-1 victory in the Santiago Bernabeu to reach the quarter-finals.

Los Blancos, with captain Sergio Ramos suspended after deliberately collecting a yellow card in the first leg, had been looking to build on a slender 2-1 lead from that game in Amsterdam and stay on course for a potential fourth straight European triumph.

However, after Raphael Varane's header rattled the crossbar, Ajax raced into an early lead through Hakim Ziyech before Dusan Tadic set up David Neres for a second in the 18th minute.

Real Madrid were forced into two changes when Lucas Vazquez and Vinicius Junior went off injured, with substitute Gareth Bale hitting the post just before half-time.

Ajax looked to have put the tie to bed when Tadic swept in a brilliant third goal just after the hour - which was eventually given following an extensive Video Assistant Referee review to check if the ball had gone out of play in the build-up.

Substitute Marco Asensio briefly gave Real hope when he put the ball in off the post with 20 minutes left.

Lasse Schone, though, capped a brilliant night for Erik Ten Hag's side when he curled in an angled free-kick over Thibaut Courtois on 72 minutes.

Real finished with 10 men after Nacho picked up two needless late cautions.

The defeat was a fourth successive home loss for Los Blancos following on from being beaten by arch-rivals Barcelona in LaLiga on Saturday - and will see pressure mount on manager Santiago Solari.

Ajax, meanwhile, go on to reach the Champions League quarter-finals for the first time since 2003.

Wales winger Bale, jeered by some fans when he was substituted on Saturday, suffered an ankle injury late in the game and looked in significant discomfort.

He had started on the bench and should have seen his side open the scoring after only four minutes, but Varane headed against the crossbar from Lucas Vazquez's deep cross.

Ajax instead took the lead in the seventh minute. Tadic won possession and broke away down the left before cutting the ball back for Ziyech, who coolly dispatched a low shot into the far corner.

Vinicius cutting inside and tested Ajax keeper Andre Onana but the Dutch side doubled their lead on 18 minutes. Tadic was again the architect, brilliantly pirouetting past Casemiro and gliding into the area before picking out Neres, who kept his cool to chip Thibaut Courtois.

When Madrid suddenly sparked into life, Onana produced a fine flying save from Vazquez's angled drive.

Not long afterwards, Vazquez picked up an injury and had to be replaced in the 29th minute by Bale, who received a somewhat warmer reception as he came on.

Vinicius sent a shot into the side netting and then limped off for treatment on what looked like a foot problem. The 18-year-old was in tears as he was eventually helped away by medical staff.

With Real temporarily down to 10 men as Asensio prepared to come on, Ajax went close to a third when Ziyech forced Courtois into a smart save.

Despite the changes, Madrid soon grew in confidence and started to open up the visitors, Asensio played in behind by Luka Modric before Matthijs de Ligt made a timely block.

As half-time approached, Bale drove forward down the left before crashing a fierce shot against the outside of the post. Asensio then curled wide at the start of the second half and Karim Benzema shot over.

Donny Van De Beek tested Courtois and Benzema's curling effort was just off target before Ajax made it 3-0 with another goal of the highest order.

Van De Beek picked out Tadic and the midfielder created space before lashing the ball into the top-left corner, with the goal awarded after a VAR stoppage of close to four minutes.

Asensio reduced the deficit in the 70th minute but the home fans were soon silenced again when Schone caught out Courtois with a free-kick from wide on the left.

Bale had a late chance saved before Ziyech fired over from close range at the other end.

The Wales forward then rolled his ankle - and looked in considerable pain - but Real had used up all of the their substitutes.

Real, who had reached the semi-finals in each of the last eight Champions League campaigns, finished with 10 men after Nacho's two rash challenges during stoppage time.