Lionel Messi: The Unmissable Penalty in Barcelona’s 1-3 Loss to Manchester City – [VIDEO]

Champions League: Messi Misses Crucial Penalty as Barcelona Edge City

Lionel Messi was left ruing a late penalty miss as Barcelona secured a narrow 2-1 victory over Manchester City in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League round of 16 tie.

The Argentine star had a golden opportunity to give his side a commanding 3-1 lead at the Etihad Stadium on Tuesday night, but his injury-time penalty was saved by City goalkeeper Joe Hart. Messi had a second chance from the rebound with a header, but he failed to hit the target.

The dramatic miss capped a frustrating evening for the forward, whose off-field distractions—including recent reports of a late-night casino visit and a reported rift with manager Luis Enrique—are likely to be further scrutinised following this latest setback.

Barcelona had taken full control of the tie early on, with Luis Suárez scoring twice in the first half. The Uruguayan forward, facing English opposition for the first time since his departure from Liverpool, struck in the 16th and 30th minutes to put the visitors in a dominant position.

Manchester City, without suspended midfielder Yaya Touré, struggled to match the intensity and cohesion of the Catalan side during the opening 45 minutes. Touré is still serving a suspension following a red card in the group stage clash against CSKA Moscow and has one match remaining in his ban.

His absence has been keenly felt by City, who have managed just one win in their last seven Premier League fixtures without the influential Ivorian. The 31-year-old has scored nine goals in all competitions this season and remains a key figure in the City midfield.

Despite their early setbacks, Manuel Pellegrini’s side showed renewed purpose after the break. Sergio Agüero, lively throughout the second half, pulled a goal back in the 63rd minute to give the hosts a lifeline ahead of the return leg in Spain.

However, a late red card for City defender Gaël Clichy, who was dismissed for a second bookable offence, and Messi’s missed penalty kept the final scoreline at 2-1—a result that still leaves Barcelona in the driving seat heading into the second leg at the Camp Nou.

In the night’s other last-16 clash, Juventus claimed a 2-1 home win over Borussia Dortmund, setting up another intriguing second-leg encounter.

While Barcelona will be favourites to progress, the missed penalty could prove decisive should City manage to produce a shock result in Spain. For now, all eyes remain on Messi—not just for his rare failure from the spot, but also for the ongoing drama surrounding his form and focus.