However, AS Roma’s Allesandoro Florenzi’s wonder strike stunned the Argentine striker with his equalizer from the middle of the pitch.
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Barcelona coach Luis Enrique, meanwhile, said he was partly to blame and claimed Florenzi had been lucky.
“A win would obviously have been a better result. And they say that I simulate these actions”.
“We’re happy about everything, except for the result”.
Given Barcelona‘s status as favourites, Roma host the defending champions with the prime objective of limiting the damage less than a year after a humbling 7-1 defeat to Bayern Munich drastically compromised their group stage qualification chances.
The match takes Barcelona coach Luis Enrique back to the club where he spent an unimpressive season in 2011/12, when Roma were clearly in transition.
“There will always be things to improve, but I thought it was a fine all-round performance and we deserved to win”.
“We could’ve done better in holding possession and being risky on the counter, but I am satisfied, as the lads responded well and did what we had prepared”.
Elsewhere, Chelsea forgot their Premier League woes and got their Champions League campaign off to a flying start with a 4-0 thrashing of Israeli champions Maccabi Tel Aviv at Stamford Bridge.
“Roma’s goal is my fault, we tell our keepers to play like that”.
Barcelona kept up the pressure and continued to pound the Roma goal in the second half.
“Mohamed’s pace was a threat for Barcelona all night”, added Garcia.
Messi’s most telling contribution came on 21 minutes, when he backed into Lucas Digne, causing the Frenchman to fall.
The Londoners went behind in unfortunate circumstances when a Josip Pivaric shot was saved by David Ospina, only for the ball to cannon in off Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain with 24 minutes played.
Barcelona were then denied a possible penalty when Szczesny missed the ball completely when he was at full stretch to deny Suarez at the Uruguayan’s feet.
Two strides after dribbling past the centre line on the right flank, Florenzi saw goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen far out of his goal and launched a shot over the German’s head that went in off the post.
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Both sides were unbeaten in their respective domestic leagues coming into the match but it was Barcelona who gradually took control of the match in the first half, with Suarez heading Jordi Alba’s cross wide of the post.
