The Barcelona striker Lionel Messi has launched an outspoken attack on the "anti-football" tactics employed by Rangers during the scoreless Champions League draw at Ibrox on Tuesday.

Messi, along with his fellow strikers Thierry Henry and Ronaldinho, endured a frustrating night in Glasgow against Walter Smith's team, although the former Arsenal player did not criticise Rangers for their approach to the game. "We had possession and weren't in any danger but we caused a lot of danger for Rangers," Henry said. "At the end of the day we got the point."

Barça's inadequacies in failing to make the most of their opportunities were strikingly apparent. But the Argentinian Messi claimed: "It's incredible. Rangers didn't want to play football. Right from the start they went for anti-football and I'm left with a bitter taste in the mouth at not having been able to win the match because we had a decent number of chances. All we lacked was the finish.

"It's a real pain playing against teams like that and it's very hard too. It'll be different at the Camp Nou."

Despite Henry's apparent satisfaction with a point, Messi dismissed any suggestion that he and his team-mates were as satisfied as their hosts to settle for a draw in the closing stages, which keeps Barça and Rangers level at the top of Group E with seven points ahead of their second meeting on November 7.

"We were tired and they weren't interested in trying to win so it was inevitable that the pace would drop," Messi added.

Charlie Adam, the Rangers midfielder, made no apologies for his team's style. "We were playing against world-class players," Adam said. "And, no disrespect to any other side but that was perhaps the best team any of us will play against in our entire careers. For us to get a point was an unbelievable achievement and made it a night to savour. We battled away, and showed the attitude needed to get us a really good point.

"Sometimes you just need to hold your hands up and say you're playing a great side and you just won't see a lot of the ball. It was a massive compliment for us that by the end, they seemed happy with a point as well."

Sasa Papac, who was entrusted with the job of marking Messi, added: "I thought I was doing well to keep him [Messi] quiet and then the next minute I have Carles Puyol flying down the wing as well. We are really satisfied to have taken a point and now I believe we have a good chance to go through."