With Saturday’s trip to the capital dominating newspaper headlines throughout the week, Luis Enrique had two intertwining tasks on Tuesday night. Firstly, to ensure that minds were focused on their Dutch opponents, and secondly, to secure a positive result.
The Catalan giants achieved both in a 3-1 win victory with Neymar and Lionel Messi both scoring and even earning a rest for the final half-hour of the game. While the visitors did threaten to set up a nervy finish, a third from Sandro ensured that there was no late drama.
Barcelona maintained control through the majority of the game, with Ajax Coach Frank de Boer conceding that he was “annoyed” with his own players for showing too much respect in the first half.
While that may be true, it is difficult not to fall into that trap, particularly at the Camp Nou. Nevertheless, it is important not to downplay the importance of the result given that PSG still lead the way in Group F with Ajax still in contention heading into the final three games.
The defeat in Paris had undoubtedly put Enrique’s men in a precarious position, but fortunately they were not distracted by the upcoming weekend’s events.
De Boer noted that he believed his side had played better in last year’s 4-0 defeat, as on this occasion they were unable to maintain possession nor get their full-backs involved. Conversely, it could be said that Barca have improved since their last meeting in terms of the system and overall shape.
Enrique insisted in his post-game interview that his decisions were based on Ajax alone and not with Saturday in mind. However, given the position his team put themselves in after the first half, he was afforded the luxury of resting his star duo as he displayed his trust in the rest of the squad to deliver when called upon.
While the focus will now shift to Carlo Ancelotti’s men ahead of their trip to Anfield on Wednesday night, Enrique can now sit back and be content with a job well done. The league leaders now have three days to recover and prepare as the world awaits a clash between two bitter rivals.
Sporting director Andoni Zubizarreta praised the team for their season thus far, but avoided making any suggestion over whether a new signing will start on Saturday. While de Boer will attest to the fact that Neymar and Messi are enough to deal with, Ancelotti will likely have the additional headache of coping with Luis Suarez.
The Uruguayan is set for his competitive club debut on Saturday, and with Barca already dominating domestically and improving on the European stage, his introduction will only further strengthen their case of winning silverware this season.
The first part of a significant week for the club was a success, now they are set to unleash their new attacking trident to ensure that the second part is just as satisfying.
