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Barcelona came from a goal down to defeat Inter Milan 2-1 in the matchday 2 Group F clash at Camp Nou.
The Nerazzurri have been in inspired form this season under Antonio Conte and are currently top of the Serie A table, having won all six of their league fixtures till date. They were seeking to get their continental campaign back on track after drawing with Slavia Prague at home on matchday 1.
Barcelona themselves had begun the campaign in indifferent form, having opened their Champions League quest with a goalless stalemate against Borussia Dortmund at the Signal Iduna Park on matchday 1.
In yesterday's match, Argentine international Lautaro Martinez put Conte's men ahead as early as the 4th minute, with the visitors dominating proceedings in the opening periods of the game.
Inter Milan created multiple chances and should have been out of sight in the match, but they failed to take their chances. And their profligacy in front of goal came back to haunt them when Barcelona rallied in the second half.
Lionel Messi was making only his second start of the season but with the 32-year-old on display, you can always fancy him to make a difference. A brace by Luis Suarez eventually helped Barcelona to their first victory in the Champions League this season, easing some of the pressure off the shoulders of head coach Ernesto Valverde.
While some Barcelona players like Antoine Griezmann and Sergio Busquets flattered to deceive, others stepped up to the plate when it mattered. Here, we look at four players who were the most impressive for Barcelona in the Champions League clash with Inter Milan.
#4 Arturo Vidal
Arturo Vidal has been on the periphery of the Barcelona squad this season. But throughout the Chilean's career, he has always given his all whenever called upon.
That proved to be the case in the game against Inter Milan too. Before his introduction in the 52nd minute Barcelona struggled to gain control of the game, with Sergio Busquets floundering in the face of continued pressure from Stefano Sensi and Nicolo Barella.
For all the stick Valverde gets for his tactical shortcomings, the 55-year-old deserves praise for realizing Barcelona's struggles through the middle and introducing Vidal to rectify the issue.
The former Bayern Munich man was deployed further up the field, allowing Arthur to drop deeper alongside Frenkie de Jong. And it was from this position that Vidal set Suarez up for what was an improbable equalizer.
As he received the ball on the edge of a crowded area, there didn't seem to be much danger. But Vidal showed great ingenuity to flick the ball onto Suarez who leveled matters with an exquisite volley.
That gave Barcelona hope where there was none previously, and ultimately spurred them on to push for the winner.
#3 Arthur
Having impressed in his debut season for Barcelona, big things were expected from Arthur in his second campaign. But his extended summer break, as well as the excellent form of Frenkie de Jong, limited his appearances at the start of the season.
Now, Arthur's impressive cameos off the bench - particularly in the game against Osasuna - have helped tipped the scales back in his favor.
The Brazilian international started the game against Inter Milan from kickoff but initially struggled to get a foothold in the game as the Inter Milan players ran roughshod in the middle of the park. Vidal's introduction helped bring stability to Barcelona's game, and it was from his deep-lying position that Arthur was able to effectively dictate proceedings.
With 120 touches, he was one of only two players in the match who hit triple figures in that statistic. He also completed a game-high 11 passes (90.9% accuracy).
In the dying stages of the game when Barcelona pushed for the winner, Arthur was the chief orchestrator of their attacking moves, pulling the strings from deep and instigating attacks with his pristine passing and ball distribution.
#2 Luis Suarez
As far as classic performances go, this was not one to remember judging by Luis Suarez's extremely high standards. But Barcelona fans won't care much, as the 32-year-old did his job on the night - which was to score goals.
Before his goals, the Uruguayan international had not done too much of note. The Inter back three of Diego Godin, Stefan de Vrij and Martin Skriniar did their best to keep him quiet.
However, Suarez is a player of immense ability who is capable of deciding the outcome of matches single-handedly. That proved to be the case once more in front of 82,000 Blaugrana faithful.
His first goal of the night was a thing of beauty, with a sweetly executed volley gliding past Handanovic to draw Barcelona level.
With six minutes left and the game seemingly destined to end in another stalemate, Suarez had other thoughts. He showed great skill and precision to control Lionel Messi's center before calmly slotting into the back of the net to give Barcelona all three points.
#1 Lionel Messi
Ever since news of Lionel Messi's injury broke, Barcelona fans have been fervent in their prayers for the return of their captain and talisman.
In his absence, Barcelona have looked devoid of ideas and lacked inspiration on the field. And in Messi's return against Inter Milan, he showed why he remains the greatest player ever to don the red and blue colors.
This was only his second start in what has been an injury-plagued season. But despite showing signs of rust, the Rosario native still stole the show and dominated proceedings with his guile and talent.
He had four shots in the game, of which three were on target, while he also completed 10 dribbles and played six key passes. Messi's biggest contribution, however, came in the 84th minute when he laid on the assist for Suarez's winner.
The 32-year-old picked the ball just inside the Inter half with at least five opposition players ahead of him. In deja vu scenes from yesteryear, Messi embarked on a classic mazy run across the length of half the field, evading five challenges before laying the ball on a platter for his friend and teammate to put Barcelona ahead.
Now that Messi has once again underlined his usefulness to Barcelona, fans of the club would be hoping their number 10 can remain fit. The success of their team's campaign largely depends on his availability.
