Maestro Messi lights up Wembley as Barca sink Spurs

LONDON (Reuters): Lionel Messi lifted Barcelona out of their recent malaise with a magical display as his side beat Tottenham Hotspur 4-2 in a thrilling Champions’ League Group B clash at Wembley on Wednesday.

Provided with the grandest of stages and 82,000 fans, the Argentine maestro responded by scoring two goals to take his Champions League haul to 105, instigating two others and twice being denied by the same upright.

Messi, 31, was applauded off by both sets of fans after an absorbing advert for the Champions League which left Barca joint top of the group on six points with Inter Milan. Tottenham face back-to-back games against PSV Eindhoven with both teams having lost their first two matches.

Injury-hit Tottenham faced an uphill task against the five-times European champions once Philippe Coutinho scored after two minutes and when Ivan Rakitic’s breathtaking volley made it 2-0 before halftime a hammering looked on the cards. But Barcelona needed the mercurial Messi at his best to repel a tenacious Spurs fightback as Harry Kane and Erik Lamela gave the hosts, described as “heroes” by their manager Mauricio Pochettino, a glimmer of hope.

Only when Messi struck his second in stoppage-time, his fifth of this season’s tournament after a hat-trick against PSV, could coach Ernesto Valverde breathe a little easier.

Messi shook his head in disbelief but soon silenced the home crowd again - this time side-footing inside the post from Alba’s cross to finish a flowing move he started.

There was no let-up and after Kane worked hard to win the ball, Lamela gave Spurs another lifeline when his 66th-minute shot flicked off Clement Lenglet and past Ter Stegen.

A gallant Tottenham side, missing the likes of Dele Alli, Christian Eriksen and Jan Vertonghen, almost levelled when Lucas Moura’s shot deflected wide but Messi ended their resistance after again being picked out by Alba.