Champions League

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Champions League | Group Stage

Nov 5, 2014 at 7.45pm UK

Ajax
0-2
Barcelona

FT(HT: 0-1)

Messi (36', 76')

Record-equalling Lionel Messi sends Barcelona through at expense of Ajax

By Joe Fish, Reporter | 05 November 2014

Lionel Messi scores twice to equal the Champions League goalscoring record and earn Barcelona a 2-0 win over Ajax which takes them through to the last 16.

Lionel Messi equalled the Champions League goalscoring record by netting both in a 2-0 win over Ajax which sends Barcelona through to the last 16.

A Messi strike in each half earned Barca victory over the 10-man hosts in Amsterdam and took him level with Real Madrid legend Raul on 71 tournament goals.

Barcelona's Argentinian forward Lionel Messi celebrates after scoring during the UEFA Champions League football match between Ajax Amsterdam and FC Barcelona in Amsterdam, November 5, 2014 © Getty Images

The visitors, who were looking to recover from successive La Liga defeats, started brightly as Neymar found the net inside five minutes, but raiding left-back Jordi Alba was adjudged to be offside in the build-up.

However, the hosts slowly started to come into the game and came close when Lucas Andersen curled wide from outside of the box following a neat move involving pacey winger Anwar El Ghazi.

Lasse Schone and Davy Klaassen also had efforts, with the latter testing recalled Barca goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen, but Messi soon opened the scoring at the other end after a Jasper Cillessen mistake.

The Ajax and Netherlands goalkeeper, who had moments earlier denied Alba, spilled the ball when competing in the air with Marc Bartra and Messi headed a cross from the defender into a vacant net.

Barcelona's Argentinian forward Lionel Messi celebrates after scoring his second goal during the UEFA Champions League football match between Ajax Amsterdam and FC Barcelona in Amsterdam, on November 5, 2014 © Getty Images

Playing against his former club, £75m signing Luis Suarez had a golden opportunity to open his Barca account in the second half as he shot straight at Cillessen after a driving run into the Ajax area.

Three incidents in the space of eight minutes had a huge bearing on the end result as Arkadiusz Milik hit the post with a header only moments before Joel Veltman was shown a second yellow card.

The Dutch defender had previously been cautioned for a first-half foul on Neymar, and the rapid footwork of Barcelona's front three again proved too quick for him as he hacked down Messi on 70 minutes.

Ajax's Joel Veltman receives a second yellow card during the UEFA Champions League football match between Ajax Amsterdam and FC Barcelona in Amsterdam, on November 5, 2014 © Getty Images

The Argentine soon made Ajax pay for their numerical disadvantage when he converted a square pass from Pedro, who had only just been introduced off the bench, for his 71st Champions League goal.

Messi sensed blood and went chasing the record outright, but Cillessen produced late stops to keep both him and Ivan Rakitic out - saves which were in vain as the hosts were knocked out of the tournament.