DORTMUND - Borussia Dortmund hit the woodwork and had a penalty saved before drawing 0-0 with Barcelona in their Champions League Group F opener on Tuesday, with Lionel Messi making his first appearance of the season for the Spaniards.
Barca's in-form 16-year-old Ansu Fati became the club's youngest player to feature in a UEFA competition when he started but failed to make any real impact before being replaced by fit-again Messi just before the hour mark.
Even with the Argentine on the field it was the Germans who were more dangerous after captain Marco Reus' 57th minute penalty was saved by Marc Andre ter Stegen.
Reus was denied twice more by Ter Stegen and Julian Brandt rattled the crossbar with a thundering shot in the 77th.
"It feels terrible," Reus told reporters. "My penalty was badly taken. We could have won it as our performance was good. It would have been the ideal start. But we can build on this."
Finding space in or around the box was virtually impossible for either side in the first half and the expected fireworks between two sides known for their attacking game never materialised.
Dortmund's Jadon Sancho was subdued while Fati showed none of the scoring form that has turned him into the latest football sensation in Spain.
It took Dortmund 25 minutes to carve out their first chance with a fine Thorgan Hazard through ball that sent Reus into the area but his Germany team mate Ter Stegen got the better of him.
Luis Suarez wriggled into the box to create a rare chance and tried to surprise Roman Buerki with a clever shot from a tight angle but the Dortmund keeper did well to guard the near post and palm the Uruguayan's effort wide.
Dortmund, who kept a clean sheet at home through the group stage last season, were then awarded a spot kick when Sancho was brought down but Ter Stegen picked the right corner to stop Reus' penalty. He was on hand again later to block a Reus shot.
Messi's introduction on the hour in the forward's first game since his pre-season injury, gave the Spaniards more pace and he made some darting runs but did not create enough for a goal.
"We suffered a lot," Barca coach Ernesto Valverde told reporters. "It was something we already knew would happen. We lacked depth in the last metres and we did not have as many chances as they had. Fortunately Marc was very good."
In the group's earlier game Inter Milan were surprisingly held to a 1-1 home draw by Slavia Prague.
Substitute Nicolo Barella scored a stoppage-time equaliser on his Champions League debut to rescue a dramatic 1-1 draw for Inter Milan at home to Slavia Prague in their opening Champions League group game on Tuesday.
The Czech champions, beaten on all six previous visits to Italy, took a shock lead through Peter Olayinka in the 63rd minute to stun the San Siro in the Group F match.
Inter, eliminated in the group stage last season, were struggling to find a reply until Barella fired in the rebound in the second minute of stoppage time.
Despite Inter's relief, they may still come to regret the loss of two home points in a group which also includes Borussia Dortmund and Barcelona.
"That wasn't our football," said Inter coach Antonio Conte who saw his 100 percent record ended in his fourth game at the club. "We need more personality and we need to improve."
"We didn't do any of what we practised and I am absolutely not satisfied. We have so much work to do."
Stefan de Vrij and Danilo D'Ambrosio both missed good chances for Inter in the opening half hour before Slavia Prague, Europa League quarter-finalists last season, began to impose themselves.
They took a deserved lead as Olayinka cut the ball back to Jaroslav Zeleny whose shot was saved by Samir Handanovic and fell to the Nigerian, who turned in the rebound.
Nicolae Stanciu nearly added a second from a free kick but it was Inter who levelled.
Stefano Sensi curled a free kick against the crossbar and the rebound fell kindly to Barella, who met it first time and scored with a shot which bounced into the net.
"If we look at the whole match, then the draw is probably fair, because Inter had some chances too," said Slavia defender Vladimir Coufal. "But after we survived this, it is a big pity to concede such an equaliser during added time."