History suggests it’s not all doom and gloom for Spurs but alarm bells are ringing after Lionel Messi masterclass
Having lost their two opening matches, Spurs can take solace in knowing that 10 clubs have bounced back from similar starts to reach the knockout stage
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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.
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
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.
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.
“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.”
The modern history of this competition proves that. Spurs just have to act on that knowledge. They need to mount some form.
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