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Ousmane Dembele rescued Barcelona a point with a late leveller against Atletico Madrid at the Wanda Metropolitano as the La Liga giants played out an uncharacteristically dull draw.
With only three shots on target at either end in the entire game, this weekend's biggest clash in the league failed to live up to the billing despite the visitors boasting a lion's share of possession.
Neither team had the urgency to take the game to the other nor the attacking flair to carve out clear-cut chances. Diego Costa struck early in the second half to break the deadlock which supposedly set the Rojiblancos on their way to a victory, but Dembele's late strike at least ensured a frantic finish to an otherwise forgetful clash.
The result leaves Barcelona to continue to take the pole position with 25 points from 13 games, whereas Atletico are just a point behind on second.
Here are the hits and flops from the match:
#1 Hit: Lionel Messi
No goals for him on the night, yet very unsurprisingly, Messi was the best player on the field. He not only assisted Dembele for the equaliser in the dying embers but was peerless throughout 90 minutes with his mazy runs and clinical ball distribution.
The Barcelona ace was the most dangerous player on the field with four efforts at goal, had the most touches on the ball only after Sergio Busquets with 102, and completed 9 of a staggering 16 dribbles as Messi was at his prolific best.
He did have his fair share of brushes with Atletico's Diego Godin and Jose Gimenez who strained every sinew to keep him quiet. But where there's Messi, there's hope.
A prolific scorer against Atletico, he compensated for the lack of one here with an all-important assist by brilliantly picking out Dembele and helping his side to a point.
#2 Flop: Luis Suarez
The Barcelona No.9 is enduring a tough season with both club and country. Having netted only four times from 10 games, Suarez returned from a miserable international break to another poor outing with the Catalans.
Forget scoring, forget getting an effort on target, Suarez endured one of his poorest outings of the year as he didn't make a single shot throughout the game. He had the least touches on the ball amongst all outfield players in Barcelona as the staunch Atletico defence squelched any modicum of threat coming from him.
Suarez was starved of service for most of the time and cut an isolated figure upfront even as Messi besides him, orchestrated their team's play. His only positive attribute on the evening was a good passing range as he completed 25 of his 31 passes to register an 81% accuracy.
#3 Hit: Diego Costa
It may not be his greatest performance nor the most memorable outing in an Atletico shirt, but Costa finally broke his duck against Barcelona with a crucial strike that almost put the hosts at the top of the league.
Antoine Griezmann whipped in a good delivery from a corner in the 77th minute that Costa conveniently met and headed home to give his side a lead. For all the prolific scorer that he has been for this side in the past, this was his first strike against the Blaugrana. And what a time to achieve it.
Costa hasn't been at his best so far this season. In fact, this was also his first strike in La Liga this season. But he made the difference when it mattered and helped salvage a point in a very important match.
#4 Flop: Koke
An unsung hero in this Atletico Madrid set up, Koke is normally the chief orchestrator of this side with his incredible passing range and ability to find gaps in teams. He also chips in important goals on occasions. But this evening was just not meant o be his.
The Spaniard was way below his best and struggled in almost every aspect of his game. His passes were heavy and first-touches, poor. His midfield influence was next to negligent as Koke was also dispossessed several times and wasn't afforded enough space or time on the ball to work his magic.
His only meaningful contribution in the match was through tackles, as he completed 7 of the 12 he attempted on the night, whether it was to win back possession in a dangerous area or break Barcelona's play.
Koke's bright start to the season already seems like a distant memory.
