Lionel Messi, Jordi Alba key encouraging Barcelona performance vs. Tottenham by @News Sport 24/7 - Post Details
Lionel Messi, Jordi Alba key encouraging Barcelona performance vs. Tottenham
FacebookTwitterFacebook MessengerPinterestEmail Lionel Messi scored twice as Barcelona ended a three-game winless run to beat Tottenham Hotspur 4-2 in the Champions League. Barca took the lead inside the first two minutes when Philippe Coutinho drove home after Messi had released Jordi Alba. Ivan Rakitic thumped home the La Liga side's second before the break with a volley but Harry Kane pulled one back for the home side in the second half. Messi quickly restored Barca's two-goal lead before Erik Lamela's deflected effort hauled Spurs back into the game once again. However, Messi, who also hit the post twice, added his second late on to wrap up a second successive win for Ernesto Valverde's side in Europe, leaving Tottenham pointless. PositivesFantasy Play ESPN Fantasy Soccer Pick your eight-man team and compete in the Champions League, Premier League, La Liga or Liga MX, then go head-to-head in leagues against your friends or people around the world. Sign up for free! How to play ESPN Fantasy Soccer Your team will be made up of eight players, at four different positions: two forwards, three midfielders, two defenders, and a goalkeeper. Find out more here. - Newcomers to pick and avoid - Champions League names to know - La Liga names to know - Breaking down ESPN's scoring system After failing to beat Girona, Leganes or Athletic Bilbao, questions were asked of Barca. However, they responded on the pitch, producing, in spells, one of their better performances of the season. With a four-man midfield, they controlled the game, with Arthur particularly impressing. Messi's hunger to win the Champions League was once again in evidence: he has five goals in the competition through two games this season. Negatives Despite returning to their roots for large parts of the game, Barca still looked ropey at the back. They let Tottenham back into the game twice and it's now four games without a clean sheet. Manager rating out of 10 7 -- After three poor games in a row, and under pressure from the local media, Valverde bravely twisted his pack, dropping Ousmane Dembele for Arthur in favour of a more possession-based side. Player ratings (1-10; 10=best; players introduced after 70 minutes get no rating) GK Marc-Andre ter Stegen, 7 -- Made one brilliant save in the first half when it looked like a deflection would carry the ball over him. Could do little about the two goals. DF Nelson Semedo, 5 -- Was beaten too easily by Kane for the first Tottenham goal, going to ground when he shouldn't have, and was lucky at 3-2 not to be caught out by Lucas Moura when he dallied on the ball in the box. DF Gerard Pique, 6 -- A better performance than he's offered in recent weeks but, along with the rest of the defence, was guilty of standing off too much in the build-up to Spurs' goals. DF Clement Lenglet, 6 -- Like Pique, too static for the goals, with the second deflecting off him and past Ter Stegen. Made up for that late on with a brilliant block to deny Moura an
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