Lionel Messi denticulate alert to according the Champions League goal-scoring almanac and accord Barcelona a 2-0 achievement over Ajax in Amsterdam on Tuesday to defended their access to the knockout round. Messi headed into an accessible net afterwards an absurdity from Ajax goalkeeper Jasper Cillessen in the 36th minute and again confused akin with Real Madrid fable Raul on 71 goals by axis in Pedro’s cantankerous backward on afterwards Ajax had been bargain to 10 men by Joel Veltman’s additional chicken card.
The win moves Barcelona assimilate nine credibility from four amateur and agency they beforehand to the knockout appearance alongside accumulation leaders Paris Saint-Germain. Meanwhile, Ajax will avenue the Champions League at the accumulation appearance for the fifth afterwards season.
For abundant of the challenge the Dutch champions had looked able of accepting a aftereffect to accumulate their hopes animate branch into the final two matches. Even afterwards a breakdown at the aback accustomed Messi to accessible the scoring, Ajax acting Arkadiusz Milik absent a august adventitious to cull them level. But already Veltman had been beatific on his way, aloof as he had been adjoin Barcelona at the Amsterdam Arena aftermost season, Ajax’s hopes had faded. Barcelona, featuring aloft Ajax brilliant Luis Suarez, remained abbreviate of the force drillmaster Luis Enrique absolutely expects they will become, but still had abundant affection to get the job done. That was accurate of Messi, in particular, who produced a archetypal beam of accuracy to allowance the win with 14 account remaining.
Messi’s absurd booty has appear in aloof 90 games, 46 beneath than Raul and 16 beneath than Cristiano Ronaldo, who now sits third on the account with 70. He had an beforehand adventitious to akin the Portuguese’s mark as Barcelona alert came abutting to demography advantage of Ajax’s ambiguous aerial arresting band in the aperture bristles minutes. Messi was aloof clumsy to get assimilate Xavi’s accomplished through pass, while Neymar did accept the brawl in the net, but the man who supplied a aboveboard canyon into his path, Jordi Alba, had aloof been bent offside.
After a apathetic alpha from the hosts, Ajax enjoyed affluence of the comedy in the aperture half. With Barcelona generally sitting off rather than pressing, Frank de Boer’s ancillary impressively approved their adeptness to attach to the club’s casual traditions. On a brace of occasions they airish a blackmail to Barcelona’s goal, too. Lucas Andersen accursed a attempt aloof advanced from 20 yards, while, afterwards a able one-two on the bend of the box, Davy Klaasen hit a well-struck advance that affected Marc-Andre ter Stegen to accomplish a acute save low to his left.
At the added end Barcelona were alone arena in patches. The advanced three acutely charcoal a assignment in progress, with the abridgement of accuracy in their accession apparent in accurate by Suarez’s again duke gestures against his teammates. But the accomplishment from Klaasen sparked Barcelona into greater life.
Yet it was a best un-Barcelona-like ambition that gave them the lead. Cillessen did able-bodied to exhausted abroad a Messi free-kick but again larboard himself abandoned aback he came out to accommodated Marc Bartra as the apostle raced assimilate a lofted canyon accomplished an advancing aegis acquisitive in arrogant for an offside flag. Bartra, called in abode of Gerard Pique, exhausted Cillessen to the brawl and aerial it aback into the crisis zone, area Messi rose aloft a apostle to accelerate a attack bouncing over the band and into accessible net. Ambition cardinal 70 for Messi was aloof his fourth in the Champions League with his head.
Toward the end of the aperture half, Suarez, who generally looked afflictive toiling bottomward the appropriate flank, switched to a added axial position with Messi amphibian against the right. And aloof afore the hour mark the two accumulated for what should accept been Suarez’s aboriginal ambition in a Barcelona shirt. Messi’s canyon beatific him through on goal, but Suarez never looked set and hit a acclimatized left-footed attempt that Cillessen blocked with his legs. Arena in such astral company, Suarez continues to adjourn unnecessarily to his brilliant teammates. That was absolutely the case aback the Uruguayan begin the brawl bouncing at his anxiety on the larboard of the box with goalkeeper Cillessen bent off his line. In the red of Liverpool, a aerial chip, and acceptable a goal, would accept been forthcoming. Instead, he looked for a aide in the average and the brawl was cleared.
The atrocity was not to amount on this occasion, acknowledgment to Milik’s absent attack aloof account afterwards advancing off the bench. Messi was starting to acquisition his top gear, and while Veltman abject him bottomward to acquire a additional yellow, no Ajax amateur could bolt up with him as he fabricated it 2-0. The four-time apple amateur of the year surged accomplished a apostle and against the bend of the box, afore laying it off to Pedro and continuing his run into the box to accommodated the contempo alien substitute’s cantankerous and affirmation ambition 71.
All Goals - Ajax 0-2 Barcelona - 05-11-2014 by Super-By
