Barcelona defender Gerard Pique is adamant that it would not have made a difference to the outcome of their Champions League semi-final tie against Bayern Munich if Lionel Messi had been in the starting lineup.
The Argentine, who recently recovered from a thigh injury, started on the bench for the La Liga leaders on Wednesday night before his side were thumped 3-0 at the Camp Nou to send Bayern through to the final with a 7-0 aggregate victory.
Pique admits that even if Messi had started the tie would still have witnessed the same result.
"The fact that Lionel Messi, the best player in the world, did not play was a factor but I do not think his participation tonight would have changed things all that much," Pique told Sky Sports News.
Bayern will now face Borussia Dortmund in the final at Wembley on May 25.
