Paris Saint-Germain went into their Group F clash with Ajax at the Parc des Princes seeking three points to further their ambitions of finishing top of the group.
The visitors dominated the possession in the opening stages, but failed to create much in the way of chances, before PSG forward Edinson Cavani made use of Ezequiel Lavezzi's charity to tap home and give them a 1-0 lead at the break.
Frank de Boer's Ajax pulled themselves back into the fixture in the second half when Davy Klaassen produced a precise diving header, only for Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Cavani to finish adroitly in the latter stages to steal a 3-1 victory for the hosts.
You can find out how all of the action developed by reading our minute-by-minute updates below.
Good evening everyone and welcome to our live coverage as Paris Saint-Germain take on away side Ajax in Group F of the Champions League. Laurent Blanc's team know that they already have a place in the knockout stages safely in the bag, while tonight's visitors are looking to help push for a Europa League spot.
PSG could secure top spot tonight should they beat Ajax and Barcelona lose out to APOEL. The hosts may also be boosted by the possible inclusion of star striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who recently became the all-time top scorer of the Swedish national team.
Ajax go into this fixture already knowing that their Champions League dreams are over, but they will be boosted by the chance of furthering their claim to make it into this year's Europa League. The Dutch club haven't done too well in this year's campaign, as they are still to record a win in this competition. However, they do scrub up a little better domestically, with the Amsterdam club winning eight of their last nine Eredivisie contests.
Frank de Boer's men will be boosted by the result when they last faced PSG in the group, where held the Parisians to a 1-1 draw on Dutch soil. The point gained is currently the one notched against the French side in Europe this season. So far PSG have collected 10 points from a possible 12.
As mentioned, PSG could feature Ibrahimovic up front, while other recent injury concerns in the shape of Blaise Matuidi and David Luiz should also be fit to play, with both players having played lengthy periods for club and country last week.
For the visitors, Joel Veltman will be absent as he serves a suspension following a red card last time out, while Anwar El Ghazi and Niklas Moisander are just a booking away from missing the final group game.
Despite the expectation of a French victory tonight, Ajax come into this fixture on the back of a 4-1 Eredivisie win over Heerenveen. After the game, winger El Ghazi told the club's website that they were confident of grabbing something from this tie: "Now we have won, the good work [continues] towards Paris. I think there [we can] definitely get something. We just need to be third [in the group]... it is an advantage that Paris is already [qualified].
Some team news for you now...
PARIS SAINT-GERMAIN STARTING XI: Sirigu; Marquinhos, Maxwell, Van der Wiel, Luiz, Matuidi, Rabiot, Pastore, Cavani, Ibrahimovic, Lavezzi
PARIS SAINT-GERMAIN SUBSTITUTES: Maignan, Camara, Aurier, Digne, Lucas, Chantome, Augustin
AJAX STARTING XI: Cillessen; Van Rhijn, Boilesen, Van Der Hoorn, Denswil, Klaassen, Schone, Serero, Kishna, Andersen, Milik
AJAX SUBSTITUTES: Boer, Moisander, Riedewald, Viergever, Zimling, Sigthorsson, El Ghazi
So we have official confirmation that PSG hand a start to Ibrahimovic, who will also captain his side tonight. The Swedish international is to feature alongside Edinson Cavani in attack, while creative support will be supplied by Javier Pastore.
Blanc has also decided to place his faith in the youthfulness of 19-year-old midfielder Adrien Rabiot, who will be part of a three-man midfield also consisting of Matuidi and Pastore.
The visitors also seem to have backed a young side, with De Boer fielding the youngest Ajax team in the UEFA Champions League since November 2004. Statistics show that the average age of their starting XI is 22 years and 306 days. Another surprise comes in the way of Niklas Moisander being left out, leaving the young duo Stefano Denswil and Mike van der Hoorn to pair up in the centre-back positions.
PSG have been in unswerving form of late. Blanc and his men are unbeaten in 19 games over all competitions this term and have won their last seven.
Midfield could be a crucial area tonight and both sides will need to be at their combative best. Ajax are no strangers to the tackle, with data showing that PSG players have only been booked four times this European campaign, compared to Ajax who received 15 yellow cards and one red card.
De Boer has looked to rally the troops ahead of this evening's fixture, the Dutch coach has had this to say when speaking to UEFA: "I do not want to see my players play with fear in their heart. Paris may seem weakened, but that's only on paper."
Elsewhere, Blanc has been praising the history of his side's opponents tonight: "Ajax nurture great players – it's in their DNA. For me, they are a legendary club – they have never changed their philosophy and never stopped nurturing very, very good players."
If Ajax are to push forward an ideas of reaching the Europa League with a win tonight, surely midfielder Lasse Schone will be integral. He was fantastic in the reverse of this fixture and will look to link up with the promising talent of forward Arkadiusz Milik.
The Dutch side have been making themselves at home in Paris as they sought to prepare for this fixture:
Ajax in Parijs. #psgaja #ucl. http://t.co/27YU76VtGN pic.twitter.com/XQM13fooJv
— AFC Ajax (@AFCAjax) November 25, 2014
We're now 15 minutes away from kickoff at the Parc de Princes and there's already a fantastic atmosphere in the air. Hopefully this will overshadow some of the darker elements surrounding reported violence historically attached to fixtures between PSG and Dutch opposition. The Guardian reports that only 850 Ajax fans have been authorised to travel to Paris under police supervision.
It's time for me to make a prediction and I'm fancying that Ibrahimovic will punish the side who were responsible for his development as a youngster. Ajax are without a number of key players, as are PSG, but I think the Parisians will have a little too much tonight. I'm going to say 3-1 to Blanc's charges.
Another factor that sways me in favour of PSG is that they've scored twice as many goals as Ajax so far in the Champions League. This evening's hosts have notched six goals, while Ajax have only three.
There's another interesting backstory developing throughout this game too, a saga which pits two former international captains against one another. Blanc and away coach De Boer captained their respective countries in France's 2-1 home friendly win against the Netherlands in February 1997, while the coaches also faced each other in a 1995 friendly in Holland.
The teams are now out on the pitch as we await the start of this fixture. Ajax will play in their white and red strip, with PSG wearing their home blue kit.
KICKOFF! PSG get things moving at the Parc de Princes with some neat work passing the ball around in their own half. It goes to the back and is then lumped forward, with Ajax pressing well to win possession.
Ajax look to have settled in comfortably already with some short stuff around the PSG box. The ball is needlessly given away in midfield and Pastore breaks. His pass finds Lavezzi in the box, but his shot is blocked for a corner.
The visitors are playing with a rather high line at the moment, which could be dangerous given the pace in this PSG side. Cavani is being kicked about already and he's on the floor again as the hosts looked to make progress down the right wing.
Most of this game is being played out in the centre of the pitch at the moment, but neither side has the quality to string enough passes together and make something of it. Van der Wiel looks to have made a well-timed crunching challenge, but his follow through catches Boilesen who seems to be in a lot of pain.
PSG are yet to make themselves known in this fixture, with Ajax pressing intensely in the opening stages. Captain Boilesen doesn't appear to have made it through that challenge and he's now been replaced by Nick Viergever.
The pressing continues from Ajax as the visitors look to rush Luiz in defence, the Brazilian has other ideas though as he pulls off a smart turn to deceive his tracker and PSG look to keep possession at the back. Not much in the way of going forward for the hosts as yet.
Luis shows some class going forward to as he makes room in the box to receive a corner, but he gets it all wrong and the headed chance goes begging. From the resulting corner, Matuidi blazes an effort over the crossbar having looked to latch on to a clearance from inside the box.
Great stuff from Pastore as he becomes the latest player to withstand the Ajax bodies. They surround the midfielder inside his own box, leaving the playmaker to calmly put together a few kick-ups and weave his way out of danger by keeping the ball under control. Ibrahimovic is then found on the counter, but he lashes wildly and sends the ball over from distance.
CLOSE! PSG show their first glimmer of class as Cavani rolls a neat back-heeled pass towards the penalty spot having collected a cross. However, Matuidi fails to gamble and Ajax make the clearance.
YELLOW CARD! Klaassen is shown a deserved yellow for a poor challenge on Maxwell. Denswil looks to try his luck deep inside the PSG half, but his shot flies over the crossbar. Speculative from the Ajax man to say the least.
Ajax are really frustrating the hosts. Some tidy pressing in the middle of the pitch sees the visitors win the ball, which is fed to Van Der Hoorn out on the left flank. He crosses into the box for the on-rushing Klaassen who just about misses with his head, leaving Luiz to head away the danger.
SAVE! Great stop from Cillessen to keep Ajax on level terms. The ball kindly falls to Ibrahimovic on the right side of the Ajax half and he slips in a wonderful through pass into the path of Lavezzi. He's one-on-one with the keeper and decides to hit his effort first time, but the visiting keeper covers good ground to close out the angle and block the shot.
More great passing now as Ajax try to keep possession following the PSG chance. Rabiot puts an end to things though as he snatches the ball back and then shields it to earn his side a free kick just outside of their own box.
Fantastic defensive play from Van der Wiel to thwart Ajax. Andersen charges at the PSG defence, with Milik spinning in round the back to try and accept the through ball. However, the full-back reads the play well and slides in to get a toe on the ball and divert it into the path of Sirigu.
Schone perhaps shows a little too much invention as he looks to carve out a chance inside the PSG box. He probably has time and space for a sharp shot, but instead decides to attempt a crafty through ball that is easily read.
GOAL! GOAL! PARIS SAINT-GERMAIN 1-0 AJAX (EDINSON CAVANI)
Silly play from Ajax as they give away the ball in their own half. Rabiot pounces on it to feed in Ibrahimovic. He supplies a wonderfully chipped pass over the head of the Ajax defenders to find Lavezzi. He's one-on-one with Cillessen again, but this time decides to square the ball to the unmarked Cavani, who slots into an empty net. Deadly stuff from the hosts.
YELLOW CARD! Ibrahimovic is booked for a rash challenge on Serero, as the striker looks to win the ball back inside the Ajax box.
Matuidi has possession on the edge of the Ajax box and he looks to play in Lavezzi down the right flank. The winger takes it under control but can't get past the full-back, leaving the visitors to win a goal kick.
Hmm... Van Rhijn won't be too popular in the dressing room at half time. Ajax work the ball wonderfully across the PSG box with some outstanding short passing, leaving the final ball to be played into the full-back down the right flank. He loses all composure and lashes timely wide of the target. Fantastic build-up stuff, though!
Looking at the majority of passing on show from Ajax they'll be a little disappointed by the scoreline. The away side have enjoyed much the better share of possession in midfield, but a silly mistake has cost them dear.
Zlatan displays some great skill as the hosts seek to cement their lead before the break. The Swede drops in short to collect the ball and spin in behind his marker. He dummies a pass to his right and instead slips in Lavezzi to the left, but the winger can't take it under control and the play breaks down.
HALF TIME: PARIS SAINT-GERMAIN 1-0 AJAX
Well, PSG have the lead and I'm not so sure they deserve it. Ajax have looked fantastic when in possession, but have rarely done anything with it. PSG looked frustrated in the early stages, although they now seem happy to sit back and play more so on the counter attack. That approach appeared to serve them well in those latter stages, with the hosts capitalising on a slip-up from De Boer's men.
Ajax are far from out of this game, though De Boer will want something more considered in the final third. As previously said, their approach play has been fantastic at times only for things to break down in and around the PSG box.
The hosts haven't done much to warrant the lead and are only 1-0 up because of a moment of poor play from their opponents. The only other real chance for Blanc's men came to Lavezzi and Cillessen saw to that with a great stop.
The possessional statistics show how dominant Ajax have been on the ball, with De Boer's men sharing 55%, while also completing 280 passes compared to PSG's 223.
One real standout feature of this Ajax XI (other than its average age) is that they've pressed well all over the pitch. Data recorded at the Parc des Prince shows that the visitors have covered 56,803 metres in the first 45 minutes.
No surprises then that Ajax's Davy Klaassen ran the furthest in the first half totalling 5.91km. If they can keep that sort of effort up in the second half and also combine it with more quality in the final third, the Dutch side could still grab something from this game.
The players are now in the tunnel as we await the start of the second half. Can Ajax find a way back, or will PSG kill them off on the break? We'll soon find out...
KICKOFF! Ajax get things going again, kicking from right to left in Paris. Kishna tries a cheeky ball straight through the middle only for Luiz to read the danger and put in a slide to clear the ball away.
Rabiot has grown into this game impressively. This time he breaks up the play in the middle of the park to set off Lavezzi on the counter attack. He cuts the leather back across the face of goal, however Ibrahimovic is off balance and the defenders clear their lines.
The young man is at it again, this time with a charge forward inside the Ajax half. The hosts are already looking a bit more dominant in the second serving of 45. However, Kishna finds himself with space going forwards towards the PSG goal. He should really have a go with his right, but instead chooses to pass and the chance is wasted.
Ibrahimovic! What a ball. He's isolated out on the right, with Matuidi busting a gut on the overlap. The striker holds up the ball before producing a delicate flick over the top into the path of his teammate. The midfielder looks to cross into the box, but Ajax head clear.
Still Ajax show some nice touches in and around the PSG box. Someone like Schone really needs to take hold of this and push into the box. Kishna produces some good skill to beat Matuidi, who pulls his opponent to the ground.
This one-goal lead still seems precarious given how much of the ball Ajax are having at times. Schone tries to make use of some space just outside of the PSG box, but his clever ball out to the right is identified by Maxwell who steals in to prevent Van Rhijn gathering the pass.
Another goal could be critical for PSG. Barcelona currently lead APOEL 3-0 in the group's other fixture, meaning a win tonight for PSG will seek to ensure that a top-place finish is still well within their own hands.
Ajax win their first corner of the night as the impressive Kishna charges down the left flank. He shows good skill and pace, but it's not good enough to beat Van der Wiel, who keeps up to see the ball away from danger.
CLOSE! Rabiot is left with far too much time in the middle of the pitch and he almost punishes Ajax with a killer ball. Lavezzi jinks in behind the defence, leaving the young midfielder to chip in a great through pass, which has just a little too much pace on it and runs through to a thankful Cillessen in the Ajax goal.
GOAL! GOAL! PARIS SAINT-GERMAIN 1-1 AJAX (DAVY KLAASSEN)
The visitors are back in it and it's a fantastic diving header from stand-in captain Klaassen that's earned it. Kishna break down the left side of the pitch and swings in a dangerous ball that evades the whole PSG defence. Klaassen reacts quickly to stoop down low and guide a wonderful headed effort into the bottom corner past a helpless Sirigu.
Which way will this swing, then? Ajax try to seize the initiative as Andersen looks for Krishna in behind, but there's just too much on the ball and it runs out of play for a goal kick. PSG appear to be a little rumbled here!
Some nice running off the ball from Van Rhijn allows him to find space out on the right. He crosses into the box, only to see a severe lack of numbers inside the PSG area. They'll need at least one man in the box if they want to score...
SUBSTITUTION: PSG make a change with Rabiot coming off in place of Clement Chantome. A lack of Thiago Motta in midfield tonight could be showing for the hosts.
Milik shows some adroit skill to turn Luiz and make him look the fool inside his own half, but the midfielder can't deliver the required cross to create a goal-scoring chance.
Closer and closer for the visitors... They win a free kick which Schone delivers from distance, however his attempt is just a little too high and marginally rises over the crossbar.
GOAL! PARIS SAINT-GERMAIN 2-1 AJAX (ZLATAN IBRAHIMOVIC)
Wow! Brilliant stuff from the PSG hit-man. Pastore supplies the Swede with a lofted ball inside the box. The striker still has it all to do though as he traps the ball with his chest, turns his marker and rifles across goal and into the bottom corner all in two swift moves. 2-1 to the hosts and what a way to go in front. Sublime finish...
The Parisians have shown the visitors just what to do in the final third of the pitch. Perhaps the inexperience in the Dutch side has something to do with that tonight.
GOAL! PARIS SAINT-GERMAIN 3-1 AJAX (EDINSON CAVANI)
Silly, silly Ajax and everyone turns to look at the desperate Zimling. The substitute is totally unaware of Cavani as he attempts a suspect-looking back pass totally blind, only to see the PSG striker steal in to dribble the ball around the keeper and slide calmly into the net. Game over, I'd say...
SUBSTITUTE: Ibrahimovic is given a standing ovation as he is replaced by youngster Lucas Digne.
I can't believe what I've seen here. Ajax have basically thrown this game away. They've enjoyed copious amounts of possession, but two poor mistakes have allowed PSG to take all three points.
Substitute Viergever suggests that he doesn't want to go down without fighting. The midfielder shows neat feet on the edge of the box to evade two defenders, however the resulting shots cannons into Luiz and all of its stick is gone.
CLOSE! Cavani should have his hat-trick, really. Lucas sends in a lovely, pacey cross to the front post, where Cavani climbs higher than his marker, only to send the ball marginally over the crossbar.
Digne almost has the chance to make it 4-1, but he's thwarted as he bears down on goal. I think the slippery conditions may have played their part there.
FULL TIME: PARIS SAINT-GERMAIN 3-1 AJAX
It's all over, then... Ajax manage to throw away a potentially close contest at the Parc des Princes. De Boer will be gutted with the outcome tonight. His men had some quality possession, but failed to do much with it. Add to that the two mistakes and clinical class of PSG and you've got a victory for Blanc's men. Ibrahimovic was arguably the difference in the final third, but Ajax have definitely played a part in their own downfall tonight.
Written by
Christopher Dodd
Christopher Dodd
