14′ Yellow card Toby Alderweireld
12′ Right idea there from Lucas who makes a clever run off the ball which is picked out by a perfect pass from Trippier, but the end product needed to be better as Lucas pulls it back to no one, allowing Barcelona to clear their lines without any panic.
10′ Things have really settled down since the frantic start, with the hosts spending much more time on the ball. There’s not a lot of urgency in their approach, however, as they patiently work it around near the halfway line, keeping Barcelona at arm’s length.
8′ Spurs have settled in a bit following the early setback, responding with a show of confidence as they enjoy some decent possession in the attacking half. They have yet to really threaten this Barcelona defence, which has shown signs of vulnerability of late and are without arguably their most in-form defender in Umtiti.
6′ Coutinho’s goal after 92 seconds is Barcelona’s earliest Champions League goal since Mark van Bommel in November 2005 v Panathinaikos (36 seconds).
4′ When playing a team like Barcelona you really can’t afford to give away goals like that. They’re hard enough to slow as is, but when you have your goalkeeper and skipper gifting goals, it becomes a daunting task. Spurs couldn’t have imagined much worse a start to this match.
Jordi Alba
Assist
2′ Alba provides the assist, and he will have to consider that a gift.
Philippe Coutinho
Goal
2′ WHAT A START FOR BARCA! 1-0! Lloris is back having missed the last six matches, and the rust shows here! Messi swings a terrific ball over the top for Alba on the left flank, and Lloris inexplicably rushes off his line to challenge him!! Why?! All Alba has to do is pull it back for Coutinho atop the penalty area, and the Brazilian simply couldn’t miss. Unbelievable!
1′ AND THEY’RE OFF! Tottenham in all white as they get the match underway, with Barcelona in their famous blue and red.
Valverde makes three changes from the win over PSV. Lenglet partners Pique in the centre of defence, replacing the suspended Samuel Umtiti, while Semedo starts at right-back with Sergi Roberto injured. Arthur makes his full Champions League debut as well for Barcelona, in what will be just his third start for the club, as he replaces Dembele, with Coutinho moving into a more advanced role.
Trippier, Alderweireld, Wanyama, and Lucas come into the side to replace Aurier, Vertonghen, Dembele and Eriksen, while Winks gets the call in midfield as Dier is dropped from the XI, onto the bench. The other switch comes in goal where Lloris returns in place of Vorm who is injured anyhow, with Gazzaniga the keeper on the bench.
Lloris is welcomed back into the Spurs team after a six-match absence with a thigh injury, but the good news stops there for the hosts who are without Christian Eriksen (abdominal), Dele Alli (hamstring), Jan Vertonghen (hamstring), Mousa Dembele (thigh) and Serge Aurier (thigh), as Pochettino makes six changes from the Inter defeat.
SUBS: Ousmane Dembele, Rafinha, Denis Suarez, Munir El Haddadi, Thomas Vermaelen, Arturo Vidal, Jasper Cillessen.
BARCELONA (4-3-3): Marc-Andre ter Stegen; Nelson Semedo, Gerard Pique, Clement Lenglet, Jordi Alba; Arthur, Sergio Busquets, Ivan Rakitic; Lionel Messi, Philippe Coutinho, Luis Suarez.
SUBS: Paulo Gazzaniga, Danny Rose, Eric Dier, Kyle Walker-Peters, Oliver Skipp, Moussa Sissoko, Fernando Llorente.
TOTTENHAM (4-2-3-1): Hugo Lloris; Kieran Trippier, Toby Alderweireld, Davinson Sanchez, Ben Davies; Victor Wanyama, Harry Winks; Lucas, Erik Lamela, Son Heung-Min; Harry Kane.
CONFIRMED TEAM NEWS:
It’s clear where coach Ernesto Valverde’s focus is, however, as Lionel Messi and Sergio Busquets were left out of the starting XI at the weekend in anticipation of tonight’s colossal tie in London, in which a victory would leave them sitting pretty in what is arguably this season’s group of death.
Barcelona’s Champions League campaign got off to a winning start as they cruised past PSV at Camp Nou, but the pressure in on them as well having had little joy since – drawing twice and losing once in LaLiga.
The defeat has left Mauricio Pochettino’s side in dire need of points tonight or they face the very real prospect of digging themselves into too big a hole early – and if the prospect of facing Barcelona wasn’t already tough enough, Spurs will have to do so without a number of key first-team players.
There’s already pressure on Spurs despite the group stage being in its infancy, having fallen victim to a late Inter turnaround at San Siro in their opening match, conceding twice late on as they left Milan empty handed.
Hello and welcome to live coverage of this Group B Champions League match as Tottenham welcome Barcelona to Wembley Stadium!
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T. Alderweireld
Yellow Card