For Tottenham Hotspur, it just kept mounting.

Mauricio Pochettino’s team came into the Wembley dressing room having been utterly ripped apart by Lionel Messi, knowing they have to go through it all again and face him in this Champions League group’s climactic match, only to be confronted with another fact that could yet mean that trip to Barcelona is a dead rubber: Internazionale had won away at PSV Eindhoven, leaving Spurs badly adrift in this table and in danger of once again going out of this competition early.

Their two main rivals have won both of their opening games, which has also meant Pochettino’s side have lost both of theirs.

Champions League Wednesday results Show all 8 1 /8 Champions League Wednesday results Champions League Wednesday results Tottenham 2-4 Barcelona Group B Getty Images Champions League Wednesday results PSV Eindhoven 1-2 Inter Milan Group B Getty Images Champions League Wednesday results Napoli 1-0 Liverpool Group C Getty Images Champions League Wednesday results PSG 6-1 Red Star Belgrade Group C AFP/Getty Images Champions League Wednesday results Atletico Madrid 3-1 Club Brugge Group A AFP/Getty Images Champions League Wednesday results Borussia Dortmund 3-0 Monaco Group A Bongarts/Getty Images, Champions League Wednesday results Porto 1-0 Galatasaray Group D AFP/Getty Images Champions League Wednesday results Lokomotiv Moscow 0-1 Schalke Group D Bongarts/Getty Images

That means this group requires almost as big a job as facing Messi.

There is one more little piece of knowledge, though, that should at least perk them up slightly; at least to offer solace – and encouragement. This situation is nowhere near terminal.

Because, in the history of the modern Champions League, as many as 10 teams have still qualified from the opening group stage from this position or worse. All of the following lost their first two games, with half of them not even getting a win until their fourth:

- Dynamo Kyiv 1999/2000, who qualified with seven points

- Newcastle United 1999/2000, who qualified with nine points

- Bayer Leverkusen 2002/03, who qualified with nine points

- Werder Bremen 2005/06, who qualified with seven points

- Internazionale 2006/07, who qualified with 10 points

- Lyon 2007/08, who qualified with 10 points

- Panathinaikos 2008/09, who qualified with 10 points and topped their group

- Marseille 2010/11, who qualified with 12 points

- Galatasaray 2012/13, who qualified with 10 points

- Arsenal 2015/16, who qualified with nine points

Spurs face a tough ask to reach the Champions League knockout stage (EPA)

The eye is immediately drawn to neighbours Arsenal, who stopped an early rot in the 2015/16 group stage by beating Pep Guardiola’s Bayern Munich at home, only to then get smashed 5-1 away … but still rallying to get through. That still wasn’t as sensational as Newcastle United in 2002/03, who beat eventual finalists Juventus 1-0 at home, before scorching through their two remaining fixtures.

A further consolation for Spurs is that, as bad as their situation looks right now, it is not as bad as either of those. They have not lost to the group’s lowest-ranked side, as both of those did. They instead have two fixtures against that team to come – facing PSV Eindhoven away and then home – and that could completely change the complexion of the group.

Messi was at his destructive best to lead Barcelona to victory (Reuters) (REUTERS)

If all goes to expectation, Spurs should realistically have six points, with Messi in this kind of form ensuring Barca beat Internazionale twice to already qualify.

So the situation isn’t yet that loaded against Spurs. It’s just they now have to properly get on the front foot. That’s where the real pressure is. There’s not really space for error.

At the least, Spurs don’t look quite as loose as they were in the opening defeat against Inter. They have tightened up, especially in the league, and a lot of the Barca defeat can be put down to Messi.

One positive for Spurs is that Inter must play Barcelona twice (EPA)

“Still we need to play four games,” Pochettino said in his press conference. “We are going to have it in our hands to be or not in the second round. The next game of course will be tough, must-win games. We still think the same, it is always possible.”