Real Madrid vs Ajax: Los Blancos Will Narrowly Avoid Upset Bid vs. de Godenzonen

Real Madrid will continue the pursuit of finding its form against an Ajax side that has not suffered a defeat this season. While Los Blancos should find a way to avoid an upset bid from de Godenzonen, it won't be as easy as most fans would like.

The one Real Madrid player who isn't having any trouble finding his midseason form is Cristiano Ronaldo. The 26-year-old striker has 16 goals in 13 games across all competitions this season, including time with the Portuguese national team, and stopping him will be paramount for Ajax on Tuesday.

De Godenzonen have a dynamic striker duo of their own in the likes of Miralem Sulejmani and Kolbeinn Sigthorsson. The pair has combined to tally 10 goals through seven league games, while Derk Boerrigter has chipped in three of his own. The team is averaging three goals per game in league play.

Los Blancos got off to a good start in Champions League group stage play with a 1-0 road win over Dinamo Zagreb. Angel Di Maria got one past Ivan Kelava in the 53rd minute with a nice strike into the upper 90. Real Madrid survived the final 17 minutes with 10 men after a Marcelo red card.

While de Godenzonen would have preferred to secure all three points in a home match against Lyon, they'll gladly accept the point to remain in contention to advance. Real Madrid will almost certainly move on to the next round, with the other three teams battling for the other spots.

The mistake Ajax must avoid on Tuesday night is falling into a defensive shell. They have been successful in league play with a more open, fast-paced style, and if they try to change that for a single game, it won't be successful. Real Madrid is too talented to let them dominate possession and pray they don't score.

Playing their usual game and trying to notch an early tally would be the best plan of attack for the underdogs.

Other than the most diehard fans, nobody outside of the locker room believes they can pull off the upset. The small chance it has to happen is if Ajax goes out and beats Real Madrid because Los Blancos won't beat themselves.

De Godenzonen will keep this game close enough throughout that Real Madrid supporters will get a little uneasy. Look for Ronaldo to score a late goal to secure the win after some tension-filled minutes. Iker Casillas will pick up the clean sheet, but not without a couple solid saves.

Prediction: Real Madrid 2 Ajax 0