Champions League: Numbers behind Real Madrid's exit
A look at the numbers behind Real Madrid's Champions League exit at the hands of Ajax, with the help of Opta.

Real Madrid's Champions League defence came crashing down in a humiliating home defeat to Ajax on Tuesday, ending their three-year grip on the trophy.
Holders stunned by four-goal Ajax in Champions League shock
The Eredivisie side triumphed 4-1 at the Santiago Bernabéu to prevail 5-3 on aggregate in the last-16 tie and pile further pressure on Madrid boss Santiago Solari.
Defeat marks the first time since 2009-10 that Madrid have been eliminated at this stage of the competition and comes on the back of consecutive Clasico losses to Barcelona in the Copa del Rey and LaLiga.
📸 Lasse Schöne ⚽️#UCL pic.twitter.com/O2GF2aNBgn
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) March 5, 2019
Here, with the help of Opta, we take a look at some of the key stats behind Madrid's sensational European exit:
- Madrid are the first reigning Champions League winners to fail to qualify for the quarter-final stage since Chelsea in 2012-13 (knocked out in the group stage).
- Madrid's 4-1 defeat to Ajax was their biggest ever margin of defeat in a home knockout game in European competition.
- Ajax progressed through a Champions League knockout stage tie for the first time in 22 years, last doing so in the 1996-97 campaign when the Dutch side prevailed against Atletico Madrid in the quarter-finals.
- Madrid have lost four successive games at the Bernabéu for just the third occasion in their history – also doing so in 1995 and 2004.
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- Ajax are just the third away side to score four or more goals in a Champions League match at the Bernabéu (also Bayern Munich 4-2 in February 2000 and Schalke 4-3 in March 2015).
- Ajax are only the second team to eliminate Real Madrid from a European knockout tie having lost the first leg at home, after Odense Boldklub in the 1994-95 UEFA Cup.