Barcelona stood firm to pick up a 1-1 draw away at Bayer Leverkusen in their final Champions League group-stage outing.
The Catalan giants named an experimental starting lineup, including one European debutant, having already secured top spot in Group E.
Leverkusen had it all still to play for, however, and were desperately unlucky not to pick up the win required to seal their own passage through after squandering a succession of second-half chances.
In the end, strikes by Lionel Messi and Javier Hernandez inside the opening quarter of the contest proved to be the only goals of the game, meaning that the hosts crash out of the competition.
Here, Sports Mole takes a closer look back at how the 90 minutes of action unfolded in Germany.
Match statistics
BAYER LEVERKUSEN
Shots: 26
On target: 10
Possession: 49%
Corners: 6
Fouls: 10
BARCELONA
Shots: 6
On target: 2
Possession: 51%
Corners: 1
Fouls: 13
Was the result fair?
Post-match statistics can quite often be deceiving, perhaps painting a picture that belies the way a game has unfolded. In this instance, the 26 attempted shots on goal by Bayer says it all about the way that the contest unfolded, as the home side desperately gave all that they had for large parts to pick up the win needed to claim second place in a relatively wide open Group E.
A goalless draw between Roma and BATE Borisov elsewhere meant that one half of Leverkusen's job had been completed, but they could not quite get things done on home soil against what was an under-strength Barca side. Roger Schmidt's men were dealt a cruel blow when Messi edged the visitors ahead somewhat against the run of play, yet hope was quickly restored by the prolific Hernandez.
From that point on it really was one-way traffic at the BayArena, as the German outfit mustered shot after shot - many of which tested Marc-Andre ter Stegen between the sticks. Ten shots on goal, in fact, had to be kept out by the visiting keeper, who certainly made the most of his return to the side for European action. It could be argued that Bayer blew a huge opportunity to join Barca in the last 16, yet this was a performance that will provide plenty of hope for the remainder of their domestic campaign.
Bayer Leverkusen's performance
The odds were certainly stacked against Bayer heading into this match, knowing that not only did they need to beat the defending champions but also hope that Roma slipped up elsewhere. In the end both scenarios nearly came true, only for the hosts' wastefulness in front of goal to cost them dearly in the end.
Bayer actually edged the possession stakes at the end of a first half that they just about enjoyed the better of, with Hernandez scoring one and Hakan Calhanoglu coming close with an attempt of his own. Following the restart, Calhanoglu and Karim Bellarabi had seven attempts apiece, as Barcelona's defensive frailties showed no real signs of letting up. Leverkusen's high pressing, talked up by Luis Enrique in the build-up to the match, was proving extremely tough to deal with.
Bellarabi perhaps missed the best opening of the lot when seeing his one-on-one kept out by Ter Stegen - who was playing just an hour from his birthplace - while Hernandez also missed a glorious opening of his own. In the end the Bundesliga side simply tired and struggled to create any big opportunities in the final quarter of the match, with the real damage being done in the 20 minutes or so after the interval.
Barcelona's performance
On the one hand, this was an extremely underwhelming Barcelona performance against a side with just one previous win to their name in this year's competition. On the other - and this is likely to be the side of the fence Enrique is sitting on - this was a battling backs-to-the-wall draw with a team lacking experience in the large.
Without key men such as Andres Iniesta, Gerard Pique and man of the moment Neymar, as well as the likes of Luis Suarez, Sergio Busquets and Javier Mascherano remaining on the bench, Barca instead named a starting lineup boasting many young up-and-comers. Wilfrid Kaptoum was handed his Champions League debut, where he ultimately struggled against the constant wave of Leverkusen pressure.
It could be argued that the La Liga pacesetters mustered just one chance all evening, which Messi - still seeking a return to full fitness following his two-month layoff - tucked away in style. Enrique will certainly not ponder on this draw for too long, particularly with the Club World Cup on the horizon, yet this was very much an opportunity missed for some of those younger players in the side who struggled to make a true impact.
Sports Mole's man of the match
Hakan Calhanoglu: Plenty of Leverkusen players in contention for this award, but Calhanoglu proved that he is more than just a free-kick specialist by creating numerous openings throughout his time on the pitch. Tired as the match wore on and had to be replaced, which may explain why the chances ultimately dried up late on.
Biggest gaffe
With the frustration levels beginning to grow, Hernandez and Bellarabi squared up to each other in the final five minutes. The ex-Manchester United striker was unhappy with his teammate's decision to go for goal when he was better positioned, leading to the referee breaking things up before it got out of hand.
Referee performance
A fairly quiet evening for Mark Clattenburg on the whole, who tried his best to let the game flow. It was certainly a lively match, with a whopping 32 shots in all, so the experienced English official played his part in that respect.
What next?
Bayer Leverkusen: Schmidt's charges will look to end their run of one Bundesliga win in five when facing Borussia Monchengladbach at the weekend in their penultimate match before the winter break.
Barcelona: The Catalan club saw their six-game winning streak come to an end when drawing to Valencia last time out, so they will aim to avoid now going three without a win in all competitions when taking on Deportivo La Coruna.
Daniel Lewis
