Gareth Bale was left out of Real Madrid's starting XI for their Champions League last-16 second-leg encounter against Ajax, marking a strategic shift after his substitution in the prior La Liga fixture against Barcelona.
The Welsh forward, who began the 2-1 defeat to Barcelona on Saturday, was withdrawn to boos in the second half and subsequently excluded from the bench for the Bernabeu clash. Madrid entered the tie with a 2-1 advantage from the first leg.
Isco, who featured against Barcelona, was omitted from the bench entirely, while veteran defender Marcelo remained on the substitutes' list. Sergio Reguilon was preferred at left-back over Marcelo, signaling tactical adjustments ahead of the pivotal match.
Ajax fielded the same starting lineup as the first leg, with midfielder Frenkie de Jong set to make his debut at the Santiago Bernabeu before joining Barcelona in the summer transfer window.
Real Madrid's lineup included Thibaut Courtois, Dani Carvajal, Raphael Varane, Nacho, and Sergio Reguilon in defense, supported by Toni Kroos, Casemiro, and Luka Modric in midfield. Karim Benzema led the attack alongside Lucas Vazquez and Vinicius Junior.
Ajax's starting XI featured Andre Onana in goal, with Noussair Mazraoui, Matthijs de Ligt, Daley Blind, and Nicolas Tagliafico forming the backline. Frenkie de Jong, Hakim Ziyech, and Dusan Tadic comprised the attacking trio under coach Erik ten Hag.
