Preview: Neymar and Tata Martino are out for the perfect debut
After last season's beat down at the hand of Bayern Munich, Barcelona will want to get their 2013/14 UEFA Champions League campaign off to a good start. Up steps an Ajax side that was placed in one of the toughest groups last season, and the draw for this season was not all that nice to them either.
In Group H, Barcelona and Ajax will have to lock horns with AC Milan and Celtic, which could make for a very entertaining group.
But on Wednesday night, they will need to focus on their first match, which could set the tone for the rest of the group stage.
"I am very excited about the chance to coach in the UEFA Champions League," Martino told UEFA's official website.
"I am also a little nervous to take part in such a prestigious competition. Barcelona have had problems dealing with set pieces and we need to find a solution to that. We want to improve every day, be more solid. On the other hand, despite our mistakes we have won four league games in a row," he added.
The Dutch side has been known to create some of the world's greatest talents, and although they may play a very attractive style of football, they have not managed to make it out of the group stage since 2006. Putting that poor streak behind them this season looks very unlikely, but then again, we have seen stranger things happen.
Barcelona's Neymar will be anxious to get things started on Wednesday night, as he will get a chance to play his first of many UEFA Champions League matches. The Brazilian striker has proven his worth at the international level with the Seleção as well as with Santos FC, but the UEFA Champions League is a completely different animal.
With a suspect back four sitting in front of Victor Valdes, Lionel Messi and Neymar will need to make sure the find the net often.
Carles Puyol and Jordi Alba will not take part in Wednesday's match, likely giving Mascherano and Adriano a place in the starting XI. But with a perfect record in La Liga, the Blaugrana have shown that their best defensive approach is their offense. Keeping the ball and putting their opponents under a lot of pressure is their trademark, and as soon as the initial whistle goes on Wednesday night, the Ajax players will have limited time on the ball.
Ajax manager Frank de Boer is well aware that his side are underdogs for this match, but that will not stop him from believing that his players can cause problems for the Spanish Champions.
"It's not nice if everyone thinks Barcelona will win, but I'm sure we can cause problems for them," de Boer told reporters. "Barcelona are very offensive and we will have to be at our very best. Lots of teams have tried to beat them, but if we stick to our style, I'll be very happy."
Making Messi and Neymar uncomfortable on the ball will be the key ingredient for this match, but they must also not forget that the Blaugrana have an abundance of other options which could cause problems.
Ajax comes into the match fresh off a victory over PEC Zwolle, which puts them two points back of the league leaders. With a little bit of confidence and motivation, the current Eredivisie Champions will be looking to put an end to their eight match losing streak against Spanish opposition.
Where to watch the match - live stream, start time, TV channels, live scores
Watch Barcelona vs Ajax live on Wednesday, September 18, 2013:
In Canada at 14:45 ET on: Sportsnet One, Sportsnet World Online
Internationally at 18:45 GMT on: UEFA Match Centre (live stream)
In the UK at 19:45 BST on: Sky Sports Events Centre, Sky Sports Red Button
In the USA at 14:45 ET on: Fox Sports 2 (delay, at 20:00 ET), Fox Soccer Plus (delay, at 17:00 ET) SiriusXM FC, FOX Deportes, Fox Soccer 2Go, Fox Sports 1
Viewers in Spain can watch the match live on Canal+ Yomvi and C+ Liga de Campeones / HD. If you are following the action from the Netherlands, you can do so on Sports1 Voetball, Nederland 3 and NOS. For viewers outside of these countries, be sure to visit our Barcelona vs Ajax match page for full TV listings for this UEFA Champions League match.
