Barcelona were beaten by Ajax in Holland to leave themselves still needing a point against Celtic in their last game to top the group.

The great and the good of Dutch football were in the Amsterdam Arena but watching dignitaries Johan Cruyff and Ronaldo Koeman were left drooling over Ajax and not their supposedly superior visitors.

Neymar and Cesc Fabregas had shots saved from Pedro’s cross early on but once the hosts got into their stride Barcelona could not deal with them.

Ricardo van Rhijn crossed from the right and unmarked Thulani Serero arrived to strike the ball perfectly past Jose Pinto.

Lasse Schone then shot over after another flowing move as Ajax threatened to extend their lead.

Neymar raced on to an Andres Iniesta pass at the other end but pulled his shot across the face of Jasper Cillessen’s goal.

Fabregas just failed to connect with another Iniesta pass but Ajax continued to have the greater share of possession and Gerard Pique brought down Nicolai Boilesen who had already gone past Xavi and Carles Puyol challenges.

The full back had to go off and Mascherano was lucky not to follow Pique into the book for a foul on Danny Hoesen who then scored Ajax’s second after Pinto had parried Victor Fischer’s shot.

Mascherano had given the ball away in the build-up to the goal. His performance was typical of an awful first half for the Barcelona defence.

Fabregas threw the ball away half in frustration and half in calculation – he now misses Barça’s last game against Celtic – as Barcelona made it to half-time just 2-0 down.

Within in three minutes of the restart Ajax undid so much of their superb first half. Van Rhijn sold Joel Veltman short and he fouled Neymar as the Brazilian burst on to the loose ball and into the area. Xavi scored the penalty and the defender was sent off.

For a meeting of two giants of total football the referee had been surprisingly busy. He booked Neymar for dangerous play and then Van Rhijn for a foul on the Brazilian.

With a man extra Barcelona finally had the lion’s share of possession but still could not find the equaliser. Full back Martin Montoya became the fifth Barcelona player to be booked and both Puyol and Xavi were replaced as coach Tata Martino looked to find a way past the Ajax defence.

Barcelona will still top Group H if they take a point at home over Celtic and Martino can point to injuries to his three first choice full backs Dani Alves, Adriano and Jordi Alba as well as keeper Victor Valdes and Leo Messi.

But the first-half defensive performance suggests the club could rue not strengthening in the summer when they face stronger opposition in the latter stages of the tournament.

Pique reflected on Barcelona’s first defeat of the season, saying: ‘We played a horrible first half. We had a man extra in the second half and started to dominate. The team improved and so did the attitude. But we have to reflect on this. There are no excuses.’

Ajax’s trip to the San Siro to face AC Milan will now decide second place with the Italians needing just a point to progress after their win over Celtic.

The game, however, was marred by an Ajax fan falling 10 metres from the stands behind one of the goals at the Amsterdam Arena and having to be helicoptered to hospital.

—Daily Mail