Ajax vs. Barcelona: 6 Things We Learned

Ajax vs. Barcelona is a game for the football purist. Total football meets tiki-taka.

From Rinus Michels and Johan Cruyff right through to Frank De Boer, there has always been a connection between these two outstanding football clubs.

Some good news for Barcelona could be found in the return of Xavi Hernandez, but this was tempered by the loss of in-form Alexis Sanchez, suspended for this match.

With De Boer aiming for second spot in the group prior to this match, per skysports, and with Andoni Zubizarreta clearly indicating that Barcelona were intent on another three points, this game had all the makings of a classic.

Let's take a look at what we learned from the game.

How Did Barca's Patchwork Defence Fare?

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Both Ajax goals were as a result of sloppy defence on Barca's part.

Not very well is the answer.

Given his success in the job thus far, it would be unfair to criticise Tata Martino.

However, there can be no valid reason for leaving Marc Bartra out of the starting line-up, instead preferring the Gerard Pique-Javier Mascherano partnership.

With Martin Montoya filling in as emergency left back, the defence had somewhat of a lopsided feel to it, and Carles Puyol at right back was a risk given the speed of the Ajax attack down that channel.

There was no cohesion throughout the back-line, far too many balls going straight to the opposition, slipping at crucial times.

No one was immune and frankly, it was an embarrassment.

Should We Have Expected More from Neymar?

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Is there too much pressure on the young Brazilian?

In Lionel Messi's absence, there is a cursory acknowledgement that Neymar should be the go-to man. Is that being a little unfair to him?

Or in games such as this, are we right to expect that when an opportunity presents itself, he has to take it?

Twice in the first half the Brazilian was in on goal, both times unable to trouble the keeper.

There can be no complaints about his industry and work ethic and in the second half, particularly, he was much more incisive.

However, goals win games, and he hasn't yet delivered on the biggest European stage.

Pressing

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Barcelona were caught in possession far too often.

Barcelona came roaring out of the blocks and were hunting in packs during the first few minutes of this match.

As the game settled down, it was the home side who began to make their pressure count.

Twice in the opening 10 minutes Jose Manuel Pinto was forced into hurried clearances that gave the home side presentable chances.

Ajax seemed to sense that the make-do-and-mend nature of Barca's defence was there for the taking and the opening goal was a perfect example of the early differences between the two sides.

Daley Blind, Midfield General

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Daley Blind underpinned all that was good about Ajax's play this evening.

That the more celebrated players such as Xavi Hernandez and Andres Iniesta were kept quiet owes much to the industry of Daley Blind, who bossed the midfield in this game.

It was an all-action display from the son of one of Ajax's most famous exponents of the beautiful game.

Where Barca generally huffed and puffed in that area, Blind was everywhere. Probing, harrying, dragging the game by the scruff of the neck and leading by example.

A fabulous all-round performance.

Ajax Reliance on Youth

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Former Barca man Frank De Boer got his tactics spot on tonight.

We often laud and applaud Barcelona for their focus on bringing through youth players where possible.

We saw tonight that the Catalan's La Masia academy isn't the only conveyor belt of talent worthy of note in European football.

A young Ajax side, populated by a number of academy graduates, took the game to Barca from the first whistle and were anything but overawed.

It's worth remembering that this is a club that has lost its last nine Champions League ties to Spanish opposition.

Frank De Boer got his tactics spot on.

Tata Focussed on La Liga?

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Tata Martino's team selection suggested more importance being place on the trip to Athletic Bilbao.

With two of Barca's best performers this season, Marc Bartra and Sergio Busquets, missing, and a number of Barca B players on the bench, you could be forgiven for thinking that Tata Martino already had one eye on the upcoming La Liga game against Athletic Bilbao.

Already through to the round of 16, the manager cannot have expected what faced him in the first half at the Amsterdam ArenA.

A certain amount of complacency from his own team was noticeable, although the second-half performance showed a marked improvement from the first 45. 

Substitute appearances from Patric Gabarron, Sergi Roberto and Adama Traore lend credence to a thought process that this was perhaps a more experimental Barca than we have seen previously.