Barcelona qualified for the knockout stages of the Champions League this evening after beating Ajax 2-0 in Amsterdam.
Both strikes came from Lionel Messi, who has now moved level on 71 Champions League goals with former Real Madrid striker Raul.
The home side, meanwhile, who can no longer qualify for the next round, finished with 10 men following a red card for Joel Veltman 20 minutes from time.
Here, Sports Mole dissects the 90 minutes of action between the two Group F rivals.
Match statistics
AJAX
Shots: 7
On target: 1
Possession: 41%
Corners: 1
Fouls: 14
BARCELONA
Shots: 14
On target: 8
Possession: 59%
Corners: 4
Fouls: 6
Was the result fair?
Had this questioned been posed at the interval then a different answer would have been given. Barcelona led 1-0 at the break courtesy of a header from Messi, but it was a fortunate lead to say the least, with Ajax much the better team. Incredibly, the Dutch side had more possession than Barca in the first period, which is not something that happens too often. The second period proved entirely different, however, with the visitors in control from start to finish. In truth, Ajax ran out of ideas as the match developed and Barcelona deserved their second after turning the screw. It will be tough for the hosts to take, but overall, there is no denying that Luis Enrique's side deserved to claim all the points.
Ajax's performance
As mentioned above, the home side had more possession than Barca in what was a very good first-half performance, but they were made to pay for not taking one of their chances. Barcelona did not look comfortable with crosses from wide positions, but that flow of pressure stopped in the second 45 minutes. The statistics show that Ajax only had one attempt on target all evening, but that is a slightly unfair reflection of the match. The Dutch side passed the ball better than their opponents in the first period and managed to keep Luis Suarez and Neymar quiet. While those two were dealt with, however, a certain Messi came to the forefront. The first goal was avoidable as will be discussed later in this analysis, but the second came from brilliant work from Pedro. Ajax cannot now qualify for the next round and must instead switch their focus to finishing third ahead of APOEL and therefore gaining a spot in the Europa League.
Barcelona's performance
A win on the road in the Champions League is always difficult and the Catalan outfit must be praised for the way that they came through this evening, but there are still issues to address. Suarez did his best to influence the match, but was too often stuck in a wide position, while the same can also be said for Neymar, who really struggled to make his mark. Can they both play in the same team as Messi? Neymar certainly can, but Suarez will need to adapt his game. Their midfield also struggled this evening, with Ivan Rakitic and Xavi failing to make their mark and Sergio Busquets looking a little short of fitness. With respect to Ajax, a better team might have undone Barcelona tonight, but in the end it was Messi that pulled his side out of jail. As it stands, they are second in the group, one point behind the leaders Paris Saint-Germain with two games to play.
Sports Mole's man of the match
Lionel Messi: Cristiano Ronaldo could not move level with Raul on Tuesday, but Messi managed that feat in Amsterdam. The Argentine now has 71 Champions League goals to his name and is almost certain to break that record. The attacker's first came from a mistake from Jasper Cillessen in the Ajax goal, while his second arrived after a brilliant cross from Pedro. Barca needed their main man this evening and he certainly answered the call.
Biggest gaffe
This is not a difficult decision. Ajax goalkeeper Cillessen made some excellent saves in the early stages of the match, but the Dutch stopper dropped a big clanger for the first goal. The away side kept the ball alive after Messi had been denied from a free kick, with a deep cross scooped towards the far post. Cillessen came out to claim, but mis-judged the flight, which allowed Marc Bartra to loop a cross onto the head of Messi, who finished past the desperate Ricardo Van Rhijn.
Referee performance
Pedro Proenca had a very busy first half in Holland - issuing six yellow cards and taking exception each time a late challenge was made, which did not go down too well with either set of players. The Portuguese calmed proceedings in the second period, but he did send Ajax centre-back Veltman from the field after picking up a second yellow card. The decision to produce a red was not in doubt, but the home side were unhappy that play was not stopped minutes before Barca opened the scoring, with Anwar El Ghazi on the deck with a head injury.
What next?
Ajax: The Dutch outfit will continue their pursuit of Eredivisie leaders PSV Eindhoven when they travel to Cambuur on Sunday morning.
Barcelona: Enrique's side will attempt to avoid a third successive La Liga defeat when they travel to Almeria on Saturday afternoon.
Matt Law
