Neymar dkk `Keok` di Belanda, Ajax Runtuhkan Rekor Barcelona
Neymar and Co Left Stunned in Holland, Ajax End Barcelona Unbeaten
Editor : Ismail Gani
Translator : Novita Cahyadi
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Amsterdam (B2B) - Tuan rumah Ajax yang tampil bagus berhasil menaklukkan Barcelona dengan kemenangan tipis 2-1 dalam laga Liga Champion Grup H di Amsterdam Arena, Rabu dinihari WIB.
Anak-anak asuh Frank De Boer sepanjang babak pertama mampu meredam permainan Barca yang biasanya cepat, kompak, dan taktis.
Ajax yang sejak awal babak pertama memenangi pengusaan bola, menciptakan kejutan dengan gol menit 19 yang dicipta pemain asal Afrika, Serero, seperti dilansir Yahoo News.
Serero mencetak skor melalui tendangan kaki kakan dari depan gawang Barca, memanfaatkan umpan sentuhan kaki Ricardo van Rhijn yang meneruskan bola lambung dari kiri area pertahanan raksasa Spanyol.
Sekitar enam menit kemudian, Barca mendapatkan peluang setelah Veltman melanggar Fabregas, namun tendangan kaki kanan bintang Brazil Neymar masih melebar dari gawang Ajax.
Sebaliknya, Ajax justru nyaris membuat gol kedua melalui Schone pada menit 33, beruntung kiper Pinto mampu menghadang bola untuk menyelamatkan gawang Barca.
Setelah beberapa kali berhasil menghadang serangan Ajax, Pinto akhirnya kejebolan juga ketika Hoesen mencetak gol kedua untuk Ajax menit 42.
Babak pertama pun berakhir dengan 2-0 untuk Ajax.
Mengawali babak kedua, Barca tampil beda dan bangkit dengan permainan khasnya, membangun serangan dari kaki ke kaki dengan lebih rapi.
Sampai kemudian pada menit 48 peluang emas memperkecil kekalahan pun tercipta saat Veltman menjatuhkan Neymar di kotak penalti yang membuat Barca dihadiahi tendangan dari titik putih.
Xavi Hernandez yang didaulat mengeksekusi penalti pun menjalankan tugasnya dengan baik, dan golnya menit 49 itu menjadikan kedudukan berubah menjadi 1-2.
Bukan hanya mengurangi kemenangan, pelanggaran itu juga mengirim Velt harus keluar lapangan karena kartu merah.
Keluarnya Velt memicu Barca kian leluasa masuk pertahanan Ajax. Namun, sejumlah peluangnya melalui Neymar masih berhasil dibendung barisan belakang Ajax, termasuk beberapa di antaranya tertangkap tangan kiper Cillessen.
Barca terus menggempur pertahanan Ajax. Sepak pojok Neymar menit 79 membuat pertahanan Ajax dalam masalah, untung saja tendangan Seri ROberto berhasil diblok van Rhijn.
Pada menit 88 Neymar membuat publik Amsterdam cemas ketika ia tanpa kawalan bek Ajak berlari dan mengecoh kiper Cillessen, tapi kemudian terdengar suara peluit wasit yang menyatakan ia offside.
Hingga waktu pertandingan berakhir, Barca yang berjuang keras tidak mampu menyamakan kedudukan dan pertandingan berakhir dengan kemengan Ajax 2-1.
Amsterdam - Ajax Amsterdam stayed in contention for the last 16 of the Champions League after becoming the first side to beat Barcelona this season with a 2-1 triumph on Tuesday.
Thulani Serero and Danny Hoesen scored to give Ajax a surprise halftime lead, but straight after the break defender Joel Veltman was red-carded for a tackle on Neymar and Xavi pulled a goal back from the penalty spot.
Injury-plagued Barcelona, who had already qualified for the knockout stages from Group H, applied pressure in search of an equaliser but Ajax held out to wild applause in Amsterdam Arena.
Ajax stay third in the group, one point behind AC Milan, who they must now beat away on Dec. 11 to qualify.
"We had a good feeling before the game and that´s why we started well. We were playing probably the best team in the world, so what did we have to lose?" Hoesen told reporters.
Barcelona, without the injured Lionel Messi, are two points clear and not yet sure of top place.
Barca coach Gerardo Martino said: "In the first half we didnt have a good attitude. At an individual level we were not as good as Ajax."
Serero ghosted in late for the first goal in the 19th minute, applying the decisive touch to a strong cross from the right from fullback Ricardo van Rhijn, who just five minutes earlier had made a goal-saving tackle on Neymar.
The South Africa international´s first Champions League goal precipitated a period of sustained pressure from the young Dutch side, culminating in a second goal three minutes from halftime.
A poor clearance by Javier Mascherano allowed Ajax to set up a chance for Viktor Fischer, whose shot was parried by goalkeeper Jose Manuel Pinto, only for Hoesen to pick up the rebound, go round Carles Puyol and score with the help of a deflection off Gerard Pique.
An Ajax fan was seriously injured after falling 10 metres from the stands as he celebrated the goal. He was taken to hospital.
But the comfortable cushion deflated just two minutes after the break when Van Rhijn´s poor back pass sent Neymar away and Veltman tripped him on the edge of the area, conceding a penalty and getting himself sent off.
Xavi converted the spot kick to send Ajax into defensive mode. They tigerishly kept Neymar at bay and ensured the Brazilian has yet to open his Champions League scoring account.
It was Barcelona´s first defeat under new coach Martino and ended hopes of a record-equalling, longest unbeaten start to a season.
The Spanish club had gone 20 games without defeat, one shy of the record set by Pep Guardiola´s 2011-12 side. They last lost at home to Bayern Munich in last season´s Champions League semi-final.
