Showing posts with label Ajax. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ajax. Show all posts

Champions League Match of the Day: Barcelona vs Ajax

00:02

Barcelona are second in their group (group F), the leader after losing the previous day (3-2) 1-0 win and Apoel at start of the tournament. Tuesday needs a win to open considerable scope not only with Ajax, who have drawn their two games, but with the Cypriot side, which has everything to lose against the French.

Barcelona and Ajax return to the same scenario already faced them last season, where the team of Gerardo 'Tata' Martino won 4-0 with a hat-trick from Lionel Messi. The Catalan team ended up being the leader of the group that Milan also went round, not Ajax and Celtic, both eliminated.

The crash on Tuesday presented quite favorable to the interests of the club, leading the League, Ajax versus a weekend draw with Twente (1-1), falling four points behind leaders PSV Eindhoven and losing one of his players in midfield Thulani Serero, injured hamstring.

Coach ajacied Frank de Boer, who first measured on the bench Luis Enrique Martinez, with whom he met at the club for four and a half seasons, may not have Nicolai Boilesen, who suffered a concussion in a loss of Denmark 0-1 against Portugal last October 14.

Besides these two absences, Viktor Fischer has been sidelined since February 23, with an injured hamstring.

This will be the first game in the dugout between Luis Enrique and De Boer, and although both were measured in a match of the Champions League, when the first was Real Madrid and Ajax second. The game was played in Amsterdam (1-0).

Last season Barcelona had no trouble taking the match by a landslide (4-0). This time, the Catalan team occurs after conceding the first goals of the season. While still unbeaten in the league, in Europe where it has been seen for the first time whipped his goal, after three goals in Paris would fit. Not expected to Luis Enrique remove ownership German Marc-André ter Stegen despite criticism.

Luis Enrique alignments are a mystery to decipher the day before, as the trainer combines a series of information normally makes a surprise just before a match. However, due to the alignment in the final game of Mascherano in the pivot, relegating to rest Rakitic is expected that the Croatian return to first team, like Sergio Busquets, which would cause some movement in the lineup, as Xavi jump and the Argentine team return to central defense.

Barca thrashing comes from Eibar (3-0) and be firm in the lead but for a few days may not align at Luis Suarez, former player of Ajax for three and a half seasons before joining Liverpool. The new Barcelona striker, suspended four months for biting an opponent, his team will debut this weekend against Real Madrid.

Despite this absence is being done in the eternal Barcelona, ​​Luis Enrique, who may not also be without the injured Adriano has sung her other two attackers star: Lionel Messi and Neymar Junior, who are going through an idyllic time the game and the match. Another former player of Ajax, Barcelona is now the Belgian Thomas Vermaelen, who remains low without having debuted with the Catalan team.

Statistics smile at Barca, they have never lost in their stadium against a Dutch team. It has yielded three draws against only seven wins, while Ajax has a disturbing report, as it has lost six of its last seven games in Spain.

APOEL vs Ajax | Champions League Preview

21:40

APOEL Nicosia, who shares group F with Barcelona and PSG in the Champions League, receive on Tuesday the Dutch team Ajax in an attempt to surprise as it did in 2012, when he reached the quarter-finals of this competition.

The meeting, to be played at the GSP stadium in Nicosia, represents a good opportunity to show that a modest club, with only eight million euro budget, can compete successfully in Europe for the Cypriot team.

The only goal against APOEL became Barcelona, ​​last September 17, encouraged the set of Giorgos Donis is able to conclude the match against Ajax with a win.

It is expected that Cypriots 18,000 fans come to GSP, a stadium built in 1999, with capacity for 22,859 spectators, while by the Ajax will have about 300 followers.After the experience of the Camp Nou, Donis likely present the same XI that took him to 1-0 against Barcelona.

This game is the first between the two clubs since the 2001-2002 season Ajax visitase Cyprus Apollon to play against the UEFA Cup, a match that ended 0-3.Ajax travel to Cyprus hoping to end a run of seven defeats away from home in the competition of the Champions League. The Amsterdam giants have not won anything in seven away games in European competition, but will be eager to pick up a win in Cyprus.

The team of Frank de Boer becomes one of a tie in their first match in the competition against Paris Saint-Germain in the Amsterdam Arena, but his fitness is concerned. The four-time winners do not relish a victory away from home since beating Dinamo Zagreb in December 2011.

Still, the Dutch champions travel to Cyprus in high spirits after the win against NAC Breda (5-2) on Saturday in the Dutch league and triplet marked by Kolbeinn Sigthorsson.

This meeting will be the first for both teams, but Ajax has happy memories against Cypriot teams since their last visit to the country ended with a 3-0 victory over Apollon Limassol in the UEFA Cup 2001-2002.

Danish midfielder Lasse Schone victory over NAC Breda was lost by a groin injury, so it is not sure that you can face the Cypriots.De Boer will be without Viktor Fischer who has been out of action since February with a thigh injury.
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