Ajax vs Real Madrid: VAR decision clouds otherwise intriguing first leg, plus four other things we learned

The decision to chalk off Nico Tagliafico's first-half header will be hotly debated in the coming days

Thibaut Courtois looks on crestfallen before his reprieve (Reuters)

Ajax and Real Madrid looked like they were headed to the Bernabeu with this enticing Champions League knockout tie evenly poised.

Madrid went ahead through Karim Benzema just after the break, but Hakim Ziyech levelled with a cool finish and the game was petering out to a draw.

It was the least Ajax had deserved in a game where possession was fairly even but where the hosts made all the running and looked easily the more dangerous side.

But a late winner from Marco Asensio tilted the tie heavily in Madrid's favour heading back to Spain.

The big talking point of the first half should have been Ajax's dominance and then, quite possibly, Ajax's goal.

But Nicolas Tagliafico's header was controversially ruled out, the first instance of VAR being used in Champions League history and a worrying sign that much of what is to come surrounding video replays might end up being tiresome debate that solves nothing.

So what did we learn?

VAR decision hangs over excellent game

Sometimes you get things that are so wrong they are right, like mixing crisps and chocolate or freezing Haribo Tangfastics.

The moment that defined this game, however, might well go down as something that was so right it was wrong.

Here is the context: Ajax had a chance after Thibaut Courtois spilled an attempt on goal and it looped towards Nicolas Tagliafico. The Argentina defender headed the ball over the - by now, flapping - Belgian goalkeeper and into the net. A goal was given.

VAR went to check for any offside in the build-up to Courtois' mistake, which there wasn't, but the video referee began to focus on a later part of the incident after the error, establishing that Dusan Tadic was probably fractionally offside.

Tadic wasn't really involved though. That's the thing.

Tagliafico's header was ruled out as Courtois clattered into Tadic (Getty)

The officials will determine, and indeed they did, that according to the rules this was a situation where Tadic was 'interfering with play' because Courtois, desperate to atone for his error, ran into Tadic's back in a flap.

There was nothing Courtois could have done to stop the ball, it was going to be a goal regardless, but Courtois clattering into Tadic from behind ended up saving Real Madrid from going 1-0 down in a Champions League knockout tie.

According to the letter of the law you can see why the decision was given and, with that in mind, many people will be unmoved by the complaints. But what this incident showed us was the problem with VAR: it might get the decision that the rulebook wants, but it also shines a light - and, on this stage, a phenomenally bright one - on the inadequacies of the rules.

The offside rule in particular has been a highly-subjective mess for quite a while but with officials forced to make judgements in real time with no alternative, these decisions have been accepted for what they are.

Now we have a high-profile wrong that seemed wrong, felt wrong and looked wrong... despite being technically right. It shows how VAR we have to go.

Vinicius Junior proves his worth

The Brazilian was crucial in giving Madrid the breakthrough (REUTERS)

With Real Madrid no longer spending the sort of sums that earned them their galactico nickname, they need their smaller investments to step up and make the grade.

Recently that has meant Madrid shopping in South America, where they have been actively tracking the likes of Rodrygo, Agustin Rossi and Exequiel Palacios hoping that a €20-€30m player might become a superstar.

The one they took the plunge on last year was Vinicius Junior, a Flamengo forward who Madrid were ready to gamble €40m on making the grade.

You can't say he's there yet, and wearing the number 7 shirt comes with its own pressures, but his performance in this game suggested he's a player ready for big Champions League ties.

Ajax were the better side in the first half by a distance and then marginally so in the second, yet Vinicius' turn of pace on the counter and his quick feet around the box set up Karim Benzema for a crucial, tie-altering goal. Things will be difficult now for Ajax at the Bernabeu, though their performance suggests they're not out of things.

Frenkie De Jong is quiet in his own mini-clásico

The superstarlet is destined for Barcelona next season but had his first opportunity to endear himself to those fans with a good performance against Real Madrid.

He ended up having one of those games where you could clearly see his quality, and how so many of Europe's top teams had projected him to become one of the finest midfielders on the planet, but he couldn't come up with any game-breaking contributions.

De Jong does have that fine lurking quality, where a team is dominant and he hangs around some 5-10 yards outside the penalty area orchestrating the attack, keeping it flowing and waiting for an opening to arise.

It just didn't translate to an enormous impact on this occasion, though it will in the future.

Hakim Ziyech's goal sends Ajax to Madrid with a remote chance

(Getty Images)

There was trepidation when the referee put his finger to his ear as Ziyech celebrated the equaliser, but once they had kicked off again the Amsterdam crowd could finally breath easy and Ajax had shifted momentum.

The better side for most of this encounter, a draw was the very least they deserved.

And yet, they got shafted by the Champions League's specialist shafters.

Ajax go to Madrid with a very real chance of making it through to the next round if they can put on a performance like this and finish their chances but Marco Asensio's late goal changes the complexion of this tie.

And the difference is that Real Madrid will almost certainly be better, and they'll definitely be more positive. The game itself should be a belter but Madrid are now strong favourites despite a fairly timid display.

Solari continues with faith in youth

Sergio Reguilon and Vinicius Junior continue to profit from the interim coach's faith in young players at the Bernabeu.

On this chilly night in the Netherlands it was just those two but, on other occasions, it has also been the likes of Marcos Llorente getting chances where previously the youth have struggled to break into the picture.

Solari may not be long for this job with Madrid actively looking at longer-term alternatives. He may, however, leave a legacy in the likes of Vinicius and Reguilon being fully-blooded first-teamers for his successor.