Today at 2:45 p.m. Ajax Amsterdam hosts Barcelona in a crucial UEFA Champions League matchup that may determine whether or not they advance to the next round. Live stream the action by clicking this link.
Barcelona has little to worry about, sitting comfortably atop Group H with three wins, one draw and no losses to go with a plus-seven goal differential. Ajax, on the other hand, is 1-1-2, and could be sent packing with a loss.
Ajax coach Frank De Boer must lead his charges past the team with whom he once won a Champions League title; he may have help in the form of an injury to Leo Messi. Barca may play this match without the top player in the world as he recuperates from a hamstring injury.
"We would like to be second and of course it makes a difference whether Messi plays or not. He scores lots of important goals and gets assists," de Boer said.
"On the other hand, Barcelona have not lost many points without Messi. They have many good players and are a nice team. We must arm ourselves as well as we can. Normally Barcelona have more quality but the best team does not always win."
Ajax has dropped nine straight matches to Spanish opponents, and Barca claims they will be going full force regardless of their lofty position in the standings. "We are travelling with the intention of securing the top spot and continuing with a phase that has gone very well so far," sporting director Andoni Zubizarreta said.
"Our aim is to win every game. We want to compete with a historic team like Ajax at a historic venue. This is a top-level Champions League match and we have to be up to the occasion".
To please Zubizarreta they'll have to achieve this victory without Messi, goalie Victor Valdes, Dani Alves, Jordi Alba, and the suspended Alexis Sanchez.
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