Borussia Dortmund 0-0 Barça: A point to start with
Marc André ter Stegen is not the first choice goalkeeper for Germany, but if Joachim Löw was watching tonight, and we’re pretty sure he was, he will have been given plenty of food for thought.
The goalkeeper played a key role in securing a point away to Borussia Dortmund on the opening day of the Champions League, and the fact that Inter were held at home by Slavia Prague earlier in the day is a reminder of just how hard points are to come by at this level.
Ansu Fati starts and Messi back
It was also a night when we saw Ansu Fati become the youngest Barça player ever to feature in a European fixture, and at long last we saw Leo Messi back in action as he came on as second half substitute.
The negative note was seeing Jordi Alba hobble off clutching his hamstring midway through the first half. Tests tomorrow will determine the full extent of the damage.
Ter Stegen: Wunderbar
The first half was tight. Very tight. We were treated to two great sides playing great football and with plenty of intent, but generally cancelling each other out. Barça had most possession but Dortmund had one more of the nine shots, coming closest when Ter Stegen blocked Marco Reus in a one-on-one.
The same pair would go head to head again early in the second half. Nelson Semedo committed the penalty but the Barça goalie against got the better of his international team-mates with a fantastic, ice-cool, save.
For the remainder of the game, it was generally the Bundesliga side that were on top. The Reus-Ter Stegen duel continued, with Dortmund coming close on a worrying number of occasions, the most dangerous being when Julian Brandt rattled one onto the bar from outside the box.
At the end of the day, no goals, but plenty of action, and a point is not a bad return for Barça. Next up, it’s Inter Milan at the Camp Nou on October 2. Bring it on!
Surprise in Milan: Inter 1-1 Slavia
The other game in Group F saw Slavia Prague pick up an unexpected point at the Giuseppe Meazza.
Nigerian Peter Olayinka put the Czechs into an unexpected lead after 63 minutes and the Italians could find no answer until a free kick hit the bar in the final minute. Young midfielder Nicolo Barella pounced on the rebound and it ended 1-1.