Barcelona hail half-fit saviour Messi

Afterwards everyone agreed on one thing: the four-times Ballon d'Or winner had changed the game. Before he came on Barcelona had not managed a single shot on target.

The talk had been of "Messidependencia". Here it was confirmed. Messi finished the match limping slightly but Barcelona's assistant coach, Jordi Roura, said that he did not expect there to be a serious problem. If there was a risk, and the fact that he started on the bench confirmed that there was, it was one they were prepared to take.Messi will be protected between now and the semi-final; had they not gambled on his fitness here, there might be no semi-final. "If you risk, there tends to be a reward," said the sporting director, Andoni Zubizarreta.