Barca beat Sporting despite Messi being silent for the second consecutive match

Thanks to Coates' own goal, Barca won 1-0 at Sporting Lisbon.

Barca faced many difficulties right from the start of the match due to Sporting's determined play. The home team not only reduced the number of goals conceded thanks to the presence of Mathieu, a former Barca player, but also organized a number of attacks towards goalkeeper Ter Stegen's goal.

Barca also lacked the precision needed to score in the first half. Luis Suarez missed the best chance when he left-footed the ball just wide of the post after a fine pass from Jordi Alba in the 18th minute. Just a minute later, it was Messi's turn to disappoint when he shot weakly from 19m and the ball went into the hands of goalkeeper Patricio after a pass from the left wing into the middle.

Sporting's defense succeeded in preventing Messi from scoring.

After being "silent" in the win over Girona last weekend, Messi once again showed his bad luck against Sporting. The Argentine striker had at least two other shots but they were either blocked by the opposing defender or failed to beat Patricio. Messi also took a free kick from the right wing but the ball hit the post and bounced out.

Although playing at a disadvantage, Sporting still had many situations that made Barca fans' hearts stop. Right-back Cristiano Piccini almost opened the score in the 16th minute with a dribble down the right wing and a long-range shot that went over the bar. Striker Doumbia attracted attention by falling in the Barca penalty area but did not cause the referee to blow a penalty.

Barca's finishing was not too outstanding, so they had to rely on luck to get the only goal that brought three points. In the 49th minute, from a free kick into the penalty area, Suarez missed his header, leading to an own goal for Sporting. The ball hit Coates and changed direction, leaving goalkeeper Patricio no time to react.

Luis Suarez headed the ball leading to Coates' own goal. Photo: Reuters

The loss made Sporting play more explosively than in the first half. This was a real challenge for Barca's defenders and especially goalkeeper Ter Stegen. Thanks to Ter Stegen's ability to push the ball away, Barca escaped defeat in two situations: Fabio Coentrao crossed into the penalty area and Bruno Fernandes shot hard from just 12 meters away.

Barca almost had only one more chance in the second half when Messi made a run down the right side of the penalty area. Before M10 could finish towards Patricio, his former teammate Mathieu rushed in to clear the ball out of bounds.

The win took Barca to six points from two Champions League group stage matches. Juventus followed with three points after beating Olympiakos 2-0 in the same match.

Being silent for two consecutive matches has prevented Messi from improving his record of 11 goals in the first eight matches of the season.

According to VNE