Barcelona 3 Ajax 1
Barcelona Neymar 7', Messi 24', Ramirez 90'
Ajax El Ghazi 88'
Man of the match Lionel Messi (Barcelona)
BARCELONA // With an hour gone at Camp Nou, Neymar’s No 11 flashed up to be substituted. The Brazilian was worthy of the sustained applause that followed, with his work complete on a night in which Barcelona took a large step toward qualification from Group F with a convincing 3-1 triumph on Wednesday over Ajax.
Lionel Messi’s No 10 followed six minutes later, to a similar ovation as he departed.
The venerated South Americans’ legs will be saved for Saturday’s Bernabeu clasico, when they could be joined by another continental compatriot, Luis Suarez.
Another Luis, their boss Enrique, faces a tough selection choice after Barca’s third striker Pedro impressed to the right of Messi against the Dutch champions, though.
Following the upset defeat away at Paris Saint-Germain in their second group game, Barcelona provided their best first-half performance of the season. Their players set out with the intent of team on a mission, with midfielders Andres Iniesta, Ivan Rakitic and Javier Mascherano all exceptional in the first 45.
Ahead of them, Messi and Neymar continued their improving partnership. They clearly enjoy playing together, and if Suarez can fit in, Barca’s frontline will be even more formidable.
With seven minutes gone, Rakitic played a one-two with Messi, who ran toward goal before pushing a ball out to Neymar. As Rakitic continued his run across goal to overwhelm the Ajax defence, Neymar curled a right-foot shot in at the far post.
Two of football’s most famous clubs hadn’t met before last September, but they have now been drawn in the same Champions League group in consecutive seasons.
The Catalans beat Ajax home and away in group matches a year ago, with Messi scoring a hat-trick in a 4-0 home win and a similar result looked likely when the Argentine scored Barca’s second in the 22nd minute.
It came after Javier Mascherano intercepted a poor Ricardo van Rhijn pass and pushed the ball to Iniesta.
Wearing the captain’s armband, Iniesta sprinted forward and curved a ball between the Ajax defence toward Messi. The Argentine controlled the ball, then placed it neatly under goalkeeper Jasper Cillessen.
Without an away win in eight Champions League matches, Ajax struggled to contain a side playing exceptionally well. Pedro, who has not enjoyed his most consistent year, hit the post in the 28th minute after Neymar and Messi combined to set him up.
Iniesta came close to making it 3-0 after 38 minutes when he drove forward into the box, dribbling with the studs of his boot until he only had Cillessen to beat. He scooped the ball toward goal, only for the Ajax keeper to push the ball wide.
Barcelona dominated the second period as they did the first, leading the 2,500 travelling fans to cheer when their side attacked.
Iniesta was also substituted to great applause, but Ajax fans cheered for real when substitute Anwar El Ghazi scored an 88th-minute consolation after a scramble in Marc-Andre ter Stegen’s goal.
It led to a nervy couple of minutes for the home side as Frank de Boer’s side pushed for an improbable equaliser.
Instead, Barca charged upfield and substitute Sandro Ramirez added a third in extra time.
With Edinson Cavani scoring a late goal to see PSG win 1-0 against Apoel in Nicosia, a gap opened in the group, with Barca in second, four points ahead of Ajax and a point behind PSG.
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