Neymar strikes late for Barca to deny Atletico

Barcelona 1 Atletico Munich 1

Atletico had seemed set for a famous win when Diego — on for injured Diego Costa — put his side ahead from fully 30 yards early in the second-half, but Andres Iniesta took control of proceedings in midfield and his precise ball set up Neymar to calmly finish and leave the tie neatly balanced ahead of next Wednesday’s return leg at Atletico’s Estadio Vicente Calderon.

Atletico began the game on the attack, with ex-Barca attacker David Villa sending an early shot just wide. But a stop-start first-half was most notable for two injuries — with Barca centre-back Gerard Pique forced from the pitch with a back injury after being flattened by Costa in an aerial challenge, and the Brazil-born Spain international himself soon needing to be replaced after picking up a hamstring problem.