Spurs Face Barcelona In The Champions League At The Perfect Time

Spurs Face Barcelona In The Champions League At The Perfect Time
17:15, 01 Oct 2018

Tottenham will seek to get their Champions League campaign back on track on Wednesday night following their agonising defeat in the San Siro a fortnight ago. The difficulty is that they’re hosting Barcelona.

It is a daunting task facing Mauricio Pochettino, who could be without Dele Alli (hamstring), Hugo Lloris (thigh), Christian Eriksen (abdomen), and Jan Vertonghen (hamstring). Mousa Dembele was also withdrawn at half-time following a knock in the 2-0 victory over Huddersfield.

However, Barcelona have problems of their own. The Blaugrana are winless in their last three games in La Liga, draws against Girona and Athletic Bilbao sandwiching a defeat to basement club Leganes.  

Their away form in Europe is also a concern, last season winning just once on the road in an arduous 1-0 scrape past Sporting Lisbon that required an own goal to get them over the line.

The versatile Sergi Roberto had to be taken off in the weekend’s draw with Bilbao due to a muscular injury, which suggests it will be Nelson Semedo operating at right-back; Spurs may look to target the Portuguese international, with Son Heung-min the most natural option to take him on. There will be all the more pressure on the South Korean in the absence of Alli and Eriksen.

Samuel Umtiti (suspension) will not travel to the scene of Barcelona’s 2011 Champions League success either.  

Lionel Messi admits that while he and his team-mates are yet to panic – Real Madrid’s simultaneous run of mediocrity has negated the need for that – there is concern within the camp about their issues at the back.

“We only feel anger for the last two results,” he said.

“We did a good first half in Leganes and we lost. We create situations to win. We are aware that we have to be stronger in defence and not concede goals in all matches.”

A badly off-form Gerard Pique has played no small part in that. The 31-year-old has already made three errors leading to goals this season, including two against Girona.

Key battles

Gerard Pique vs Harry Kane

The centre-back is set for his 100th Champions League appearance at Wembley, which leads to some interesting parallels with his nemesis on the night, Harry Kane. Both had been accused of looking fatigued until the latter silenced that talk with a brace against Huddersfield, leaving him as the second-highest goalscorer in the Premier League this term.

There are concerns in some quarters that Pique is being made a scapegoat due to his off-field issues with the club, which include but are not limited to his production company’s role in making Antoine Griezmann’s ‘The Decision’ film, snubbing Barcelona, and his riding to training on an electric bicycle without a helmet. He cannot afford another poor showing.

Luis Suarez vs Toby Alderweireld

At the other end of the pitch, while there were long-standing concerns about Luis Suarez’s performances, he has a tally of three goals and three assists in all competitions. The Uruguayan thoroughly enjoyed facing Spurs during his time with Liverpool, having put four past them in their last three meetings.

Amid uncertainty about how the Lilywhites will line up at the back, Toby Alderweireld has now put together a run of three consecutive starts in all competitions and will be all the more crucial if Vertonghen misses out.

Lionel Messi vs Danny Rose

Pochettino has a big decision on his hands. Ben Davies’ poor form of late deems it unlikely that the Welshman will start. There were glimpses of Danny Rose’s best at Huddersfield, the left-back winning a penalty, and his pace and tracking back are going to be severely tested against arguably the Greatest of all Time.

Messi has scored 20 goals versus English clubs in the Champions League – more than against sides from any other country. Ernesto Valverde initially rested him against Bilbao but he was forced to come on and help his side to a late point, providing the assist for Munir El Haddadi in the 84th minute.

Barcelona remain top of La Liga on goal difference but with their last European title coming four seasons ago, it is their ever-fading dominance of the continent that is up for debate.

Tottenham will no doubt look for inspiration in their 3-1 unpicking of Real Madrid last season, and to Manchester City’s victory over the Catalans in the 2016/17 campaign – alarmingly, though, they are the only Premier League team to overcome Barcelona in the last 11 encounters.  

Since the 4-0 thrashing of PSV Eindhoven on the night Tottenham lost to Inter Milan, Barca have looked a shadow of their true selves. Another defeat for the north Londoners would spell trouble for their hopes of escaping Group B, but they could not ask for a much better opportunity to further rattle the five-time winners.

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