Messi & Busquets benching best for Barcelona - Valverde

Ernesto Valverde claims his decision to bench Lionel Messi and Sergio Busquets against Athletic Club was in the best interests of Barcelona.

Two key figures were surprisingly left out of the starting XI for a La Liga clash at Camp Nou on Saturday.

Both men did see game time, but not until early in the second half when Barca found themselves trailing.

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Messi was able to make a telling contribution, as he provided the assist for El Haddadi Munir’s leveller in a 1-1 draw, but more points slipped through the grasp of the reigning Spanish champions.

Valverde has now seen his side go three games without a win, but has defended his decision to once again rest senior stars, telling…