• Spurs manager says his players were heroes for chasing game • ‘We still have it in our hands to be in the next stage,’ he says

This article is more than 1 year old

This article is more than 1 year old

Mauricio Pochettino lamented the self-inflicted “handicap” of a sloppy early concession to Barcelona from which his Tottenham side struggled to recover, as a wild 4-2 defeat left their Champions League hopes hanging by a thread.

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The Spurs full-back, Kieran Trippier, failed to cut out a second‑minute ball from Lionel Messi and, when Hugo Lloris bolted ill-advisedly from his line, Jordi Alba squared for Philippe Coutinho to score.

It was a night when Messi thrilled Wembley with two goals and two further shots that hit the post but also one in which Tottenham refused to accept defeat. They even had a chance for 3-3 through Lucas Moura before Barcelona wrapped up the win late on.

Pochettino praised the fighting spirit of his players but he would dwell afterwards on the Lloris error for the opening goal. “If you watch football and understand it you will know how hard it is to come out of the dressing room and find yourself 1-0 down so early,” he said. “It’s so difficult after this for the team to feel to confident to play. It’s so tough.

Quick guide Tottenham player ratings Show Hide Tottenham Hotspur (4-2-3-1) Hugo Lloris Ill-advised bolt from the line on the opening goal, spread further panic with another one in the second half. 4 Kieran Trippier Will feel he should have cut out Messi’s pass on first goal. Hands full with Coutinho. 5 Toby Alderweireld Booked early on after being tricked by Coutinho, he suffered as Barcelona turned the screw. 5 Dávinson Sánchez Guilty of lapses and continues to look vulnerable to the high ball over his shoulder. 4 Ben Davies Thankless assignment with Messi roaming off his side. Stuck to his guns. 5 Harry Winks Felt the pressure of Barcelona’s press. Tried to put fizz into his passes. Tough evening. 6 Victor Wanyama First Champions League start since December 2016, might be a while before he gets another. Chased shadows. 4 Luca Moura Denied space, unable to show electric pace but almost conjured stunning late equaliser. 5 Érik Lamela Worked to inject urgency and creativity. Carried physical fight. Assist for Kane. Deserved luck on his goal. 8 Son Heung-min Struggled to make any impression. Had the ball in the net in the first half but the whistle had gone. 5 Harry Kane Fed off scraps but showed class and composure for goal. Refused to accept defeat. 7 Substitutes: Eric Dier (for Wanyama 57) 6, Moussa Sissoko (for Son 66) 5, Fernando Llorente (for Lamela 79) 5. Ratings by David Hytner

“When you play at this level, you can’t concede these type of chances. In the second half, we were very competitive and did everything we could to try to come back.”

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Tottenham managed to keep Messi away from goal in the first half but he terrorised them after the interval. Barcelona had arrived on the back of three matches without a win in La Liga only to show their class.

They have six points from their opening two Group B ties while Spurs have zero, having lost their opening match at Internazionale. Next up for them is the double-header against PSV, with the first meeting in Eindhoven on 24 October.

“Messi had more space in the second half and that is difficult to stop,” Pochettino said. “It is unbelievable how he runs. Come on, move on, because in the first half, we conceded in the first minutes. We played with the handicap of conceding after one minute.

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“Our players were heroes because they were chasing the game against Messi, Suárez, Coutinho. Lucas Moura could have equalised. Then you would have said we are heroes and the manager is the best in the world.

“We need to play four games still and we have it in our hands to be in the next stage. It will be tough because they are must-win games. We still think the same – that all is possible.”