Barcelona reaches last 16 despite back-to-back scoreless draws
Barcelona finished as a group winner for the 11th consecutive Champions League season despite a scoreless draw with Juventus on Wednesday.
With 11 points and a match to play, the Catalan club cannot lose top spot in Group D. The second-placed Bianconeri will join Barcelona in the knockout round with at least a draw against Olympiacos in two weeks' time.
| Pts | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barcelona | 11 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 7 | 1 | 6 |
| Juventus | 8 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 5 | 0 |
| Sporting CP | 7 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 8 | 7 | 1 |
| Olympiacos | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 11 | -7 |
Sporting CP, which picked up a 3-1 victory over the Greek side in Wednesday's other Group D contest, can only qualify with a win against Barcelona and a Juventus defeat on the final matchday.
Ernesto Valverde's bold decision to drop Lionel Messi certainly set the tone for a cagey contest that produced few notable opportunities. Valverde confirmed to reporters afterwards that the Argentine was rested and not suffering from any injury.
The result was historic in an odd way. Barcelona had never recorded goalless draws in consecutive Champions League matches until Wednesday, with the result at Allianz Arena coming after a 0-0 stalemate at Olympiacos.
Messi eventually saw the pitch as a second-half substitute. Despite a few free-kick opportunities, the 30-year-old couldn't find a breakthrough.
Andres Iniesta's performance, however, drew a standing ovation from the Juventus supporters. The World Cup winner came up with several timely challenges to keep the Italian outfit at bay.
Barcelona's struggled to score away from home in recent trips across Europe, registering just one tally in its past five matches. Even that was an own goal by Sporting defender Sebastian Coates.