Few gave them a chance but Ajax have pulled up a stunning Champions League result.
The Dutch side trailed 2-1 from the first leg in Amsterdam. But in the meantime, Real Madrid had lost two El Clasicos, getting knocked out of the Copa del Rey and virtually being eliminated from the La Liga title race on Saturday night.
Those were two defeats on the trot at the Santaigo Bernabeu. And home soil proved no salvation again against a spirited Ajax.
Hakim Ziyech gave the four time European Cup winners a 1-0 lead away from home against the holders.
Icing on the cake
Eleven minutes later, Neres doubled that lead for Ajax.
The second half didn't lead to any improvement for Madrid. Ex-Southampton playmaker Dusan Tadic made it 3-0 just after the hour mark.
Real did pull one back through Marcos Asensio with 20 minutes to go. At that point, they would have needed two goals due to Ajax's goal difference advantage.
But instead it was the away side who put the icing on the cake. Denmark international Lasse Schone swung in a free kick from the flank to make it 4-1.
Nacho was sent off late on for Real as their dream of a four-in-a-row evaporated. Ajax now advance to the quarter-final draw, where they join Tottenham.
Harry Kane's goal put a seal on a 4-0 aggregate victory over Borussia Dortmund.
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