Bravery against Barca... but we fall short

A battling and spirited performance went unrewarded against Barcelona at Wembley Stadium on Wednesday night, as the visitors just had too much for us in the final reckoning.

Missing five first team regulars – Dele Alli, Mousa Dembele, Christian Eriksen, Serge Aurier and Jan Vertonghen - through injury and on the back foot from the moment we conceded in the second minute, we showed real courage and desire to push our illustrious visitors all the way, Lionel Messi’s 89th-minute goal finally taking the sting out of our endeavours and sealing their 4-2 victory.

Philippe Coutinho was the beneficiary of Barca’s early strike, added to by a stunning strike from Ivan Rakitic before Harry Kane produced a moment of magic of his own to halve the deficit. Messi then made it 3-1, but Erik Lamela’s deflected effort brought us back into contention once more and we pushed the La Liga side all the way until their Argentine star settled the outcome.

The Champions League anthem had barely died down before Barcelona were ahead. Sergio Busquets found Messi on half-way, he jinked away from Heung-Min Son and pinged a ball over the top for Jordi Alba down the left channel. Hugo Lloris came a long way out to confront the defender, who was able to cut back for Coutinho on the edge of the area and he took a touch before firing into the unguarded net.

Our first sight of goal came on 25 minutes when Marc-Andre ter Stegen saved Kane’s long-range effort but three minutes later, the Spaniards doubled their lead in spectacular fashion. Messi clipped a pass which Luis Suarez laid off for Coutinho just on the edge of the six-yard box, he badly sliced his volley and yet somehow managed to then keep the ball in play as it looked to be heading for a goal-kick. The recycled ball fell perfectly for Rakitic, who slammed a half-volley from 25 yards in off the post.

We almost pulled one back on 32 minutes when Lamela’s low cross was deflected by Nelson Semedo and was heading in until Ter Stegen stuck out a hand to keep it out.

The second half started with a flurry of chances and goals, Messi striking the same post with near-identical side-footed efforts twice in five minutes before we finally got on the scoresheet on 52 minutes. Lamela broke into midfield and laid it off to Kane, he advanced into the area, shaped to shoot with his left foot, cut back onto his right and curled a sumptuous finish past Ter Stegen.

But four minutes later, Barcelona restored their two-goal advantage after Alba’s low cross from the left was dummied by two players, with Messi coming in behind them to tuck home past Lloris.

We rallied again though, Kane showing fantastic desire to win possession deep inside the visitors’ penalty area, finding Son who in turn laid off to Lamela, his right-foot shot flicking off Clement Lenglet and beating Ter Stegen.

The drama kept on coming, Lloris somehow escaping after his clearance from outside the area on the stretch fell to Messi, but the alert Toby Alderweireld denied the Argentine a second goal with a superb tackle.

As the game wore on, we looked the more likely to score next, showing great energy levels and Lucas tested Ter Stegen with a low effort with nine minutes remaining and was denied again moments later, Lenglet somehow blocking his drive from 12 yards out. But the equaliser wouldn’t come despite a sustained spell of pressure and Barcelona added a fourth in the last minute, Suarez again producing a sublime dummy for Messi in acres of space inside the area and he slotted home.

Key moment

With six goals in the contest, there was plenty of drama and Kane’s desire to win the ball back from Gerard Pique almost on the goal-line when nothing appeared on was a moment which led to our second goal and lifted the crowd inside the stadium.

But ultimately it didn’t count for anything as far as the final result stood and the key moment has to be the second-minute strike from Coutinho.

With such optimism and enthusiasm prior to kick-off, it was a crushing blow so early on and, despite our best efforts, was a moment which meant we were always chasing the game.

"To start the game and after a minute-and-a-half to concede a goal was so difficult for the team," said manager Mauricio Pochettino. "If you play football you know that emotion, you plan to play in some way and that destroys everything."

Mauricio's view

Mauricio was clearly annoyed with seeing us concede inside two minutes and he felt that early goal, combined with Rakitic's strike on 28 minutes, left us with a lot of work to do.

"The second time they (scored) on 30 minutes, a great goal scored from Rakitic, that was so tough," he reflected. "When we started the second half the team believed and we competed in a very good way.

"I’m so proud about that, playing against a team like this with this handicap from the beginning.

"The team gave everything. I feel proud. Of course, they deserved the victory but if Lucas scored (in the second half), it’s maybe 3-3 and we are talking in a different way."

Reaction on Spurs TV

Match data

Goals: Spurs – Kane 52, Lamela 66; Barcelona – Coutinho 2, Rakitic 28, Messi 56, 90.

Yellow cards: Spurs – Alderweireld, Wanyama, Lamela, Kane, Dier; Barcelona – Arthur, Busquets.

Referee: Felix Zwayer.

Venue: Wembley Stadium.

Weather: Mild, 17 degrees.

Attendance: 82,137.