Tottenham Hotspur plays hosts to European giants, Barcelona in a high stakes Group B Champions League encounter at the Wembley Stadium. Spurs are coming fresh off of a 2-0 win at Huddersfield but Mauricio Pochettino’s team haven’t been entirely convincing this Season especially when they couldn’t beat a 10 – man Watford team in normal time in the Carabao Cup. Barcelona may be on top of the La Liga table but the Catalan giants haven’t fared too well in recent fixtures, drawing 1-1 against Athletic Bilbao over the Weekend and losing 2 – 1 against minnows Leganes last week. Both teams have immensely talented players on their side but it’s safe to say they’re yet to hit top gear this Season.
🔥 MATCHDAY! 🔥
⚽ Tottenham Hotspur vs Barça
🕓 9.00pm CEST
🏆 UCL
📍 Wembley Stadium
📲 #SpursBarça
🔵🔴 #ForçaBarça pic.twitter.com/KadQo0fh7s— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) October 3, 2018
Tottenham were hoping to host this fixture in their new 800 Million Pound stadium but have had to settle for Wembley which given the occasion, isn’t such a bad thing. White Hart Lane continues to remain under construction but fans of the North London Club can expect to move back to their home ground very soon now.
Team News
Tottenham Hotspur – Tottenham have a host of important stars sidelined with injuries, Dele Alli is ruled out with a Hamstring problem, Danish Star Christian Eriksen is sidelined with a problem in his abdomen, Fullback Serge Aurier is out with a thigh injury while Belgians Jan Vertonghen and Mousa Dembele are ruled out with a hamstring and thigh injury respectively. Under-23 star Luke Amos suffered a knee injury in an under-23 game against Blackburn, which now leaves Spurs with limited options in Midfield. Captain Hugo Lloris is back in Training and is expected to start.
Predicted XI: Lloris, Rose, Sanchez, Alderweirald, Trippier, Dier, Winks, Moura, Lamela, Kane, Son
Barcelona – Manager Ernesto Valverde is reportedly switching from his present 4-3-3 formation and is going back to the formation that helped the Blaugrana win the La Liga title last Season. A 4-4-2 with a diamond Midfield of Busquets, Rakitic, Vidal, and Coutinho right behind a strike partnership of Luis Suarez and Lionel Messi. Samuel Umtiti and Sergi Roberto are reportedly unavailable for the trip to London.
Predicted XI: Ter Stegen, Alba, Pique, Lenglet, Semedo, Busquets, Rakitic, Vidal, Coutinho, Messi, Suarez
Key Players
Tottenham – Harry Kane
🔊 Harry Kane: “It motivates me to get even better and improve and hopefully one day score as many, if not more, than Leo Messi has” #SpursBarça pic.twitter.com/o1onwrmCFT
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) October 2, 2018
Whether he can score more goals than Messi or not is something we can’t say. But something we know for a fact is that Harry Kane will have to come good tonight if Spurs are to get anything out of this result.
Barcelona – Lionel Messi
#WednesdayWisdom — Leo #Messi has scored more goals (20) and provided more assists (6) against English clubs in the @ChampionsLeague than against sides from any other nation. #SpursBarça pic.twitter.com/o7kpdQAQs7
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) October 3, 2018
Messi will be hoping to find the back of the net yet again against an English team and will be looking to emulate the 2010/11 Champions League final Success at Wembley when Barca battered Manchester United 3 – 1.
