The real reason why Leo Messi was benched vs Juventus

Barcelona fans were left shocked when it was confirmed that Lionel Messi won’t start the Champions League group stage match against Juventus.

He was left on the bench, but not because he was injured, so nobody could understand why that happened.

Barca currently sit top of Group D with ten points and there’s still a slim chance they may fail to reach the knockout stage of the competition.

Considering this, why Ernesto Valverde took such risk to let the five time Ballon d’Or winner on the bench.

According to Spanish outlet SPORT, Valverde is thinking about Barcelona’s busy schedule from now and Christmas and doesn’t want the Argentine to be pushed to the limits.

On Sunday, Barca face Valencia at Mestalla, and he wants to keep Messi fresh for that match.

The report also adds that Messi admitted he needs to take a rest in order to keep himself fresh and welcomed Valverde’s decision to bench him.

Barca currently lead La Liga table with 10 points more than their bitter rivals Real Madrid, but only four less than second-placed Valencia.