Real Madrid coach Santiago Solari praised matchwinner Marco Asensio after their Champions League win at Ajax.

Asensio returned to the scoresheet for Real Madrid with an important late winner against Ajax, which delighted Santiago Solari.

Having only recently returned from injury, the Spaniard impressed after coming on as a second half substitute for the injured Karim Benzema.

"I'm particularly happy with his goal and his performance," Solari said afterwards in his press conference.

"He has played in three of the four games since he came back from the injury.

"He has done everything he had to do, not only for the goal but for how he managed the game, for how he defended and his effectiveness in reaching the opposition goal."

Ajax played well despite their defeat and Madrid were made to work for the win.

"Without a doubt [it was a game in which Los Blancos suffered]," Solari added. "We knew how to play the game. We worked and suffered and scored when we created chances.

"We did everything and that shows the strength of this group."

Despite acknowledging that it was a difficult night, Solari didn't agree when a journalist suggested Madrid had had a bad game.

"That's your opinion," he responded.

"There were a lot of things we needed to do to get this result.

"We had to work, to suffer, to know how to deal with the pressure and to be strong."