Neymar-Messi partnership leads Barca to 3-1 win over Ajax

Sports Desk: Neymar and Lionel Messi helped Barcelona get their Champions League campaign back on track with a 3-1 win over Ajax at Camp Nou.

The star forward duo have now both scored in each of Barca`s past five matches and Neymar gladly accepted a pass from his partner in crime to net an early opener on Tuesday.

Messi doubled the advantage in the 24th minute - his ninth goal of the season - and the prospect of Luis Enrique`s team bouncing back from their surprise 3-2 loss at Paris Saint-Germain last time out in the Champions League was rarely in doubt until substitute Anwar El Ghazi struck in the 88th minute to set up a tense finale.

Ajax pressed for an equaliser, allowing Neymar`s replacement Sandro to seal the points on the break.
Barcelona can now look ahead to Saturday`s eagerly anticipated La Liga showdown with Real Madrid - where Luis Enrique will finally have the enviable option of combining Luis Suarez with Neymar and Messi in a formidable attacking trio.

Ajax - now without a win in nine away matches in Europe`s premier club competition - handed a first Champions League start to left winger Ricardo Kishna, while Barcelona again selected Marc-Andre ter Stegen for European action despite the goalkeeper`s shaky showing in Paris.

Messi started the night three goals shy of Raul`s all-time record of 71 Champions League goals, but the mercurial Argentine played the role of provider in the seventh minute.

Some slick one-touch play from Barca allowed Messi to drive at the Ajax defence and thread a perfectly-weighted pass into the path of Neymar, who passed the ball home first-time.

Messi snatched at an opening of his own four minutes later but he made no mistake midway through the half, just as Ajax appeared to be growing into the contest.

goal.com

 

risingbd/Oct 22, 2014/Aminul