Barcelona secured the solitary point in Turin that was needed for the Catalans to secure first place in Group D. The scoreless draw will not go down as one of the better games of football this season, but Ernesto Valverde seemingly went into the game going for the point and make the last group stage match against Sporting a mere formality from Barcelona’s standpoint.
For the first time this season, not counting the Copa del Rey match against Real Murcia, Lionel Messi did not start for Valverde’s Barcelona. The Argentine was on the bench for this one, while Paulinho and Gerard Deulofeu started alongside Luis Suarez in attack.