Former Barcelona defender Jeremy Mathieu scored an own goal against his previous side as a 2-0 defeat to Barcelona ended up Sporting Lisbon’s chance to proceed to the last 16 of the Champions league.
Sporting needed to win and hope for Juventus’ defeat against Olympiakos. However the Italian champions ended up with a 2-0 victory and made to the next round as group runner-ups.
Barca had drawn their previous two Champions League games 0-0 but Paco Alcacer’s glancing header and Mathieu’s misdirected clearance secured victory.
Lionel Messi started on the bench for the second successive Champions League for Barca.
Messi came on moments after Alcacer’s 59th-minute goal put the hosts ahead.
Earlier, Luis Suarez was denied by Rui Patricio’s leg after getting the better of former Liverpool team-mate Sebastian Coates.
Sporting’s best chance fell to Dutch striker Bas Dost, whose first-time shot from close range was brilliantly kept out by Jasper Cillessen.
“We try to do things as well as we can,” said Barca boss Ernesto Valverde afterwards. “Sometimes we play wonderfully and sometimes less so.”
Barcelona will be seeded when the draw for the knockout stage takes place next Monday at Uefa headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland.
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