5 observations from Matchday 4 of the 2018/2019 UCL group stage

#1 Barcelona coped well in Messi's absence

Messi has been out for the last two weeks

Lionel Messi is one of the greatest players in history, and Barcelona have been blessed to have him in their ranks for the last 15 years, as the Argentine has helped the Blaugrana win every trophy winnable in that timeframe.

It, therefore, came as a big blow when he landed awkwardly on his shoulder in a league match against Sevilla, as the 31-year-old is crucial to everything Barca hopes to achieve.

Scans revealed that it was a dislocated, which was not as serious as first feared, and he was ruled out for at least three weeks and expected to return at the end of the month to face Atlético Madrid, however, true to his extraterrestrial form, Messi returned much earlier than expected, and was pictured training with his teammates within the week.

Messi's injury came at a critical juncture of Barcelona's season, as the club had a tough run of fixtures including El Clásico and against Inter Milan in the UCL to determine the group toppers.

As it happened, Barcelona managed extremely well in Messi's absence, as other players like Luis Suarez, Coutinho and Rafinha all stepped up to the plate to lead Barcelona to victories.

They absolutely pummelled eternal rivals Real Madrid by 5-1 in El Clásico, while also defeating Inter Milan, Sevilla, Cultural Leonesa and Rayo Vallecano all without Messi, before posting a 1-1 draw in the return leg against Inter at the San Siro.

Barcelona would undoubtedly be glad to have Messi back, as he makes them a better team, but his teammates deserve special praise for the way they lifted themselves in his absence.