Tottenham 2-4 Barcelona: 3 things we learned
Barcelona beat an injury-ravaged Tottenham team to go top of Champions League Group B. Here are three things we learned from Wednesday’s game.
Barcelona beat Tottenham 4-2 in the Champions League on Tuesday. Lionel Messi was in inspired form again, scoring his fourth and fifth goals of the tournament in only two games. Spurs threatened a fightback briefly in the second half, but if anything the scoreline flattered them. Here are three things we learned from the match.
Barca capitalize on shorthanded Spurs
One of the consequences of success in European soccer is having to deal with multiple competitions at the same time. Teams in the upper echelon will need to manage their lineups and player fitness for their domestic league, league and national cups, and European competition. Injuries will leave a team shorthanded in any one competition, but when they come at a time when a team is in several, they can really take a toll.
Tottenham learned that firsthand today in their loss to Barcelona. Spurs came into the game with injuries affecting some of their best players. Dele Alli, Christian Eriksen, Jan Vertonghen and Moussa Dembele were all unable to play, leaving the English side shorthanded against the Catalan giants. Harry Kane may be one of the best players in the world, and Mauricio Pochettino one of the best managers, but expecting them to beat a full strength Barcelona team is unrealistic.
The absence of talent was clear in the second minute of the game, as Tottenham were thoroughly dismantled in defense, leading to an incredibly easy goal for Phillippe Coutinho. Barca would follow with two brilliant goals from Ivan Rakitic and Lionel Messi. Spurs stayed competitive throughout, scoring twice in the second half. They were able to bring themselves within one goal of tying the game, but ultimately ran out of time in the end. Messi would wrap things up with an easy finish in the 90th minute, giving Barcelona a two-goal lead and himself a brace for the day.
A loss like this is certainly going to make it easy to refer back to the summer transfer window. Spurs elected to stand pat, making no signings in the window to add depth to the squad. A few first team (or even fringe first team) players could have made a drastic difference in this game. With no added depth to speak of and several important players unable to compete, Spurs saw the results of an inactive transfer window firsthand.
Barcelona bounce back
After losing and drawing their last two games in La Liga, Barcelona were able to bounce back with a comfortable win against a shorthanded Tottenham. Barca remain tied for first place in La Liga with their fiercest rivals, Real Madrid, but winning today gives them a solid foundation in the Champions League. They’ve managed to win both of their first two games in the group stages, and their strong goal differential will allow them to essentially control their own destiny in Group B.
Though Barca have started strong, advancing to the knockout round is not a guarantee. Their next game will see them face arguably their strongest competition in the group, Italy’s Inter Milan. Inter have managed to keep pace with Barcelona in the group so far. They defeated Tottenham on matchday one, and were also able to beat PSV Eindhoven today to capture six points out of six.
Barcelona were able to score four times today, with each goal coming as the result of brilliant build up play and clinical finishing. For a team with this much talent, that kind of offensive prowess seems to be sustainable. Barca were able to dismantle teams last year with this style of play, and aside from a few early growing pains, look well on their way to doing it again this season.
Time for Tottenham to panic?
The loss means that Tottenham currently sit at the bottom of Group B through the first two games. It may not be time to panic just yet, but there is definite cause for concern. Another game away at Barcelona looms, as does a home date with Inter, who Spurs have already lost to. On paper, Tottenham should be able to defeat PSV Eindhoven, but nothing is guaranteed, especially in the Champions League.
Spurs are currently in fourth place in the Premier League, and if they keep this current form in the Champions League, success domestically may be their primary focus. It’s difficult for a team that doesn’t get off to a good start to make up ground in the Champions League. Every team in the competition is reasonably able to win on any given night, and that’s only compounded by Tottenham having one of the toughest draws of any team in the group stage.
Of course, an unfavorable draw is no excuse. Spurs were handed a similar situation in last year’s Champions League. They were placed in a group with Real Madrid and Dortmund, both of whom they managed to defeat. Spurs actually finished at the top of their group last season, a remarkable feat given the quality of opponent they faced.
Spurs will absolutely need to secure at least one point in their next game against PSV. A win will be even better for them, but a point will keep them within shouting distance of the two top spots in the group. Tottenham were able to make it to the knockout stage of the Champions League last season, eventually losing in the round of 16 to Juventus.
The loss today doesn’t spell doom for Tottenham, but it should at least be cause for concern. As one of two teams in Group B with no points, they face an uphill battle. If injuries continue to affect them, their stay in this season’s Champions League could be a short one.