Chelsea 1-1 Barcelona
Messi had not found the net in eight previous matches versus the Blues, yet he penalized Andreas Christensen's misdirected pass across his very own box in the 75th minute to grab an away objective for Barca.
Willian had actually placed Chelsea ahead in the 62nd minute with a great curling strike, having additionally hit both blog posts in the very first half.
But the Premier League side have to now rack up in the return leg at the Nou Camp on March 14 if they are to progress to the quarter-finals.
Chelsea, who started with Eden Hazard as an incorrect nine as well as Alvaro Morata and Olivier Giroud unemployed, had looked as though they were mosting likely to take a first-leg benefit after blunting Barcelona's striking hazard.
While the visitors dominated ownership in the initial fifty percent, it was Chelsea that went closest to racking up.
Risk flashed a very early shot over bench while Willian hit the blog post twice with efforts from outside the box, striking the right-hand upright in the 34th minute and after that hitting the left post with a snap-shot in the 41st min.
Hazard likewise volleyed over the bar before half-time, with Barca's only chance falling to Paulinho in the 16th minute when he headed vast.
The game continued in the same pattern in the 2nd half yet it was Chelsea who broke the deadlock when Willian completed wonderfully, curling a shot right into the bottom edge from the edge of the box.
The objective looked as though it might be crucial on the night as Barcelona had a hard time to discover a way via Chelsea's well-organised support.
However Barca confiscated after Christensen's inadequate pass throughout his very own box, with Andres Iniesta missing away from Cesar Azpilicueta's diving take on and after that pulling back for Messi to complete adeptly into the bottom edge.
Opta statistics
Barcelona have actually yielded in each of their seven sees to Stamford Bridge in the Champions Organization (W1 D2 L4), with their only win can be found in February 2006 (2-1).
That win for Barcelona was the last time that Chelsea lost against the Spanish side, with the Blues unbeaten in their last eight Champions Organization video games (W2 D6).
6 of Willian's 9 Champions League goals for Chelsea have actually come from outside package (67%).
Chelsea are the 71st club that Lionel Messi has actually racked up versus for Barcelona - he has actually only failed to rack up versus 11 clubs that he has actually encountered.
Lionel Messi has now racked up at least one objective in exactly half of his appearances in the Champions Organization (61 video games scored in, 122 appearances).
Luis Suarez has actually currently cannot rack up in the last 881 mins of play in the Champions League, his lengthiest drought in the competitors. His last objective go back to March 2017 against PSG.
The managers
Antonio Conte: "I assume we were really close to playing the ideal video game. I think we paid dearly for one mistake. Yet as you recognize very well, versus this type of player - like Messi, like Iniesta, like [Luis] Suarez - if you make a mistake you pay. It's a pity due to the fact that tonight at the end of the game we are disappointed with the result.".
Ernesto Valverde: "The advantage is that we managed to get an error out of them and also we got an equaliser. We go back to the Camp Nou pleased. I believe the equaliser was extremely important. They could be satisfied with the result and also we have to be considerate of their style of play. They pressed us really high as well as made life hard for us.".
Male of the suit - Willian
Willian proceeded his superb recent kind with one more standout screen. He twice went near to scoring in the first fifty percent with shots that hit the post and also left Marc-Andre ter Stegen rooted to the area.
However it was third time fortunate as he shimmied away from Sergio Busquets in the 62nd minute and also curled an amazing effort right into the bottom corner.
Just what's next?
Chelsea travel to Manchester United on Sunday and afterwards most likely to Manchester City a week later on, with both video games reside on Skies Sports. Barcelona host Girona in La Liga on Saturday then most likely to Las Palmas on Thursday, March 1, with both components once again live on Skies Sports.
The 2nd leg takes place at the Nou Camp on Wednesday, March 14.