Lloris blunder sets Spurs on road to defeat

due to the Anthony Joshua-Alexander Povetkin fight 11 days earlier, it started to look like a clash which a boxing referee would have stopped.

Early into the second-half magic Messi went on one of those runs, evading Sanchez and Harry Winks before sidefooting against the bottom of a post.

In the 50th minute he did it again, surging in from the right to drive against the same upright.

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Two minute later he was aghast to see Kane take a pass from Erik Lamela, turn Nelson Semedo and curl in a superb shot at the far post.

It made it 10 Champions League goals for Kane in 12 games, reaching double figures in 11 games less than Messi.

But the Argentine ace did not have to wait long to respond. Four minutes later he played the ball out to Alba on the left and when his cross came in, Suarez dummied and Messi was there to ease the ball home.

In the 66th minute, Lamela made it 2-3, his left foot shot taking a major deflection off Clement Lenglet.

It sparked Spurs into overdrive and in the 84th minute Lenglet was involved in another big deflection, sending Lucas Moura’s goal-bound shot for a corner.

Spurs went all out for an equaliser but it left them exposed. In the 90th minute, Alba snatched possession. He crossed, Suarez feinted, and Messi was there with the goal at his mercy.

TOTTENHAM (4-2-3-1): Lloris; Trippier, Alderweireld, Sanchez, Davies; Winks, Wanyama (Dier 57); Moura, Lamela (Llorente 79), Son (Sissoko 67); Kane. Subs: Gazzaniga, Rose, Walker-Peters, Skipp.

BARCELONA (4-3-3): Ter Stegen; Semedo, Pique, Lenglet, Alba; Arthur (Vidal 87), Busquets (Vermaelen 90), Rakitic; Messi, L Suarez, Coutinho (Rafinha 83). Subs: Cillesen, D Suarez, Dembele, El Haddadi.

Referee: Felix Zwayer (Germany).