When Cristiano Ronaldo decided to turn on the switch, there really is no stopping him. Vulnerable at 2-1, after Ajax hit back with a goal, Ronaldo decided to take matters into his own hands, scoring two wonderful goals to put the result beyond doubt, and Real Madrid in the driver's seat in this year's Group of Death in the Champions League.
Real manager Jose Mourinho admitted those two goals proved to be crucial after Real looked nervous right after Ajax's first goal. "We controlled the game for 75 minutes," the Portuguese coach said. "Until Ajax scored I was very impressed with my team.
"Considering we were playing a side that were very well organised and playing in a very compact manner, we did really well. We lost a little bit of that control when they scored and the game turned dangerous for us.
"We did manage to resolve it with two goals. We won, we won in a group that is no joke. It's a very serious section we are in. Having two wins and six points at this stage we can feel a little calmer about things, but not too calm."
Mourinho decided to give playmaker Kaka a start, with the Brazilian excelling against the Dutch team and he was easily one of the best players on the pitch. The former Chelsea manager also reserved praise for Sergio Ramos, who has come for a little criticism off late.
"It's my task to get the best out of my players," he said. (Sergio Ramos) played very well tonight. He's put in three very good performances since (he was left out) against Manchester City.
"This was also a game that played towards the characteristics of Kaka. Having to choose is not a problem for me, it's my job. Kaka and Mesut Ozil looked good this evening."
Ajax head coach Frank De Boer was clearly frustrated with his side's performance, with the Dutch great admitting his side did not deserve to pick up any points. "I thought we played very badly," he said. "We never reached our level and when you fail to do that there is no way you can beat opponents like Real Madrid.
"With the score at 2-1 we had chances, including a great one to equalise, but we didn't deserve parity to be honest. Madrid are all stars, with four world and European champions. I wanted to see our style, and tonight I'm afraid I didn't.
"I am frustrated and not just a little bit. Before the match we told them: 'reach your potential'. They got nowhere near it, especially at the beginning. After it went 2-1 there was little hope, but we didn't deserve anything. This is very disappointing, especially as the space was there to play well."