What Gonzalo Higuain Said To Lionel Messi After He Started On The Bench

Gonzalo Higuain took the piss out of Lionel Messi for starting on the bench in the Champions League on Wednesday night.

Barcelona visited the Italian champions and played out a goalless draw in the penultimate game of the Group Stage phase. The Catalans secured their spot in the knockout stages, while Juventus still have some work left to do in the final round of games.

Ernesto Valverde left Messi on the bench, before eventually drafting him into the fray in the second half.

_{Messi takes his place on the bench. Images: PA}

The Argentine ace was rested ahead of Sunday's crunch La Liga fixture against second place Valencia.

"Leaving Messi out was difficult but he has played a lot this season and today we saw a long and tough contest so we thought a rest would do him good," the Barcelona boss said via BBC.

_{Messi in action against Juventus. Images: PA}

Though while he came on in the 56th minute, Messi failed to break the deadlock.

But before the game kicked-off, Messi exchanged words with his international colleagues Higuain and Paulo Dybala.

And the Juventus striker used the moment to tease Messi. The Barcelona man, who was donning a substitute vest, was poked fun of by Higuain.

"The vest fits you well, the vest of a substitute," Higuain reportedly said via Spanish outlet Mundo Deportivo.

_{Messi and Dybala embrace at full-time. Image: PA}

Expect Messi to start on Sunday as they revert their attention back to the league, while seeking to extend their lead at the top.

Topics: Dybala, Barcelona, Messi, Higuain, Juventus, Champions League

Nasir Jabbar

Nasir Jabbar is a journalist at SPORTbible. He graduated from Bath Spa University with a BA in Media Communications. He's a combat sport aficionado, and has contributed to MMA websites AddictedMMA and CagePotato. Nasir has covered some of the biggest fights, while interviewing the likes of Conor McGregor, Darren Till, Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua. He's also an avid Bristol City fan.

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