Barcelona will look for redemption on Wednesday when it takes on Ajax Amsterdam in its first Champions League match of the 2013-14 season.
Barcelona's 7-0 loss against Bayern Munich was widely seen as a paradigm shift in world soccer, but the team is intent on reminding people that they are still the top team in the world. The club made few changes this offseason, but the addition of Brazilian forward Neymar is expected to take away some of the reliance the team had on superstar Lionel Messi. The game on Wednesday will represent Neymar's Champions League debut; Coach Gerardo Martino will also be overseeing his first UCL game ever as well.
"Neymar has the same excitement as I do about playing in a competition like this," the coach said, according to ESPN. "For all coaches, the opportunity to take part in competition like the Champions League is a big thing in their career. I am looking forward to it a lot, especially with a group of players like these."
Ajax enters the competition looking to improve upon its third-place group finish from last season. Johann Cruyff has already expressed his support for the Dutch side in this matchup and Coach Marc Overmars is relishing the chance to take down one of the top sides in Europe.
"Of every 10 games which Barca and Ajax play, Ajax would only win one," Overmars said, according to ESPN. "But we will give everything so that it is this one. Celtic would be similar to us, and they won. We must do everything we know to perfection, be clinical in the last meters and hope that the luck is with us."
Prediction: Barcelona wins 2-0.
Start Time: 2:45 p.m. EST
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