Bayer Leverkusen vs. Barcelona: Winners and Losers from Champions League
Bayer Leverkusen crashed out of the Champions League after they drew 1-1 in a compelling final group-stage game against Barcelona.
A frantic first half saw chances at either end before Lionel Messi latched on to a through ball, rounded Bernd Leno and finished to put Barcelona ahead—but the German side's response was immediate as Javier Hernandez swept in an equaliser.
Chances came and went for both teams in the second half, though Leverkusen were certainly the more forceful in looking for a second goal—which never arrived, meaning they exited in third place behind Roma.
Here are all our winners and losers from the BayArena.
Winner: Sergi Samper
1 of 5
Barcelona changed a few faces in the team from their regular XI, and not all the changes paid Luis Enrique back with good performances, but that can't be said about Sergi Samper.
The controlling midfielder performed well in front of the defence, distributing the ball well and making a number of good challenges in the face of constant pressure from Leverkusen—not always, it must be said, with the greatest of support from his two midfield colleagues.
Samper hasn't always had chances in the first team this season so it was vital for him to perform on the big stage this time and he did so.
Loser: Karim Bellarabi
2 of 5
The fall guy for the game, no doubt—Karim Bellarabi played well in general, but he wasted so many chances to score that it is ultimately at his boots that responsibility for failing to win lies.
With his pace, dribbling and direct running, he was a constant menace in buildup play, but whether striking the ball from range, one-on-one with Marc-Andre ter Stegen or any other situation, he simply couldn't get his finishing right.
A late drilled effort at the 'keeper when Javier Hernandez was in space waiting left his striker team-mate fuming, and B04 exited Europe's top competition minutes later.
Winner: Kevin Kampl
3 of 5
Perhaps the best player on the park at the BayArena, Kevin Kampl absolutely dominated the midfield for his side with a series of energetic runs, aggressive challenges and intelligent final passes.
His willingness to tackle at times verged on the reckless in his desire to win back the ball quickly, but he set the tone for the team display and ensured that Leverkusen stayed on the front foot with a fearless and positive performance.
Kampl was creative in opening up Barcelona's midfield as much as with his passing and easily the man who best represented Bayer's spirit during the game.
Losers: Barcelona's Centre-Backs
4 of 5
Gerard Pique and Javier Mascherano are established as the dominant pairing at Barcelona, but with Jeremy Mathieu only impressing in fits and starts, there's certainly cause to think that either of Marc Bartra or Thomas Vermaelen could push themselves forward as third choice for the team.
They didn't exactly give credence to those claims on Wednesday, however, both looking ill at ease next to each other and not really dominant either on the ground or in the air, under the constant siege of Leverkusen's attacks.
Neither should expect to feature prominently at the weekend.
Winner: Marc-Andre Ter Stegen
5 of 5
Barcelona's Champions League goalkeeper of choice again this season, Marc-Andre ter Stegen put in a top display to keep Leverkusen at bay.
A lot of his saves were routine, but at other moments he was quick off his line, alert to stop danger before shots came in and also did well one-on-one a number of times.
Late in the game, he made a fantastic one-handed stop to deny Javier Hernandez what would have been a winning goal, and the German continues to show he could be a huge player for the future, if he can find the consistency to go with his quality.
