Who can blame Tottenham for being dismantled by Lionel Messi?

Given Spurs’ injuries, their technical inferiority, their mixed start to the season, the reality of Messi, the second-half fightback against Barcelona looks even more impressive

Lionel Messi celebrates after Barcelona's third (Getty)

How far can you blame Tottenham for losing this game? Of course there are things they could have done better: a pass here, a touch there, thinking and moving slightly more astutely to cut Barcelona off.

Going back to that decisive first half, when Barcelona went 2-0 up, those who want to can pore over the goals to pinpoint the decisive slips. Kieran Trippier was inches away from cutting out the ball to Jordi Alba before the first. Davinson Sanchez almost got something on the clipped ball through to Luis Suarez that set up the second, giving Spurs a 2-0 lead.

But Spurs did not lose this match because of those little details. And if it was not those details that won Barcelona the game, it would have been different ones. Spurs lost because of the most fundamental difference, one that they could do nothing about. Barcelona had Lionel Messi, making those two passes for those goals, and Tottenham did not.

Mauricio Pochettino had spoken in the build-up of how Spurs would have to keep hold of the ball and play high up the pitch, to keep the ball in Barcelona’s half. That was the only way to keep Messi away from them and stop him from doing the “terrible” damage he would inflict. Which is an admirable plan to discuss in a press conference, but the reality on the pitch was that Tottenham had little in where exactly the game was played. Because Barcelona made Wembley their home, just as they did in here in the Champions League final more than seven years ago.

In recent weeks Barcelona have dropped points in La Liga against Girona, Leganes and Athletic, all of whom have pressed them high up the pitch and forced them into errors. That is what Spurs would have wanted to do, if they had their best players all on the pitch. But the reality for Spurs is that without Dele Alli and Christian Eriksen, they are not the same side. They have far less intelligence with the ball, and far less direction without it.

The two Tottenham players who showed that combination of quality and heart required in this competition were Kane and Lamela, leaders of the second half fightback and scorers of the two goals. There were times in the first half when it felt as if those two were the only players who would purposefully press, sensing that there was something to be gained from putting Barcelona under pressure. The rest of the Spurs team either did not look up to speed, or just showed their illustrious visitors too much respect.

Erik Lamela scores Tottenham's second (Getty)

That is why Spurs got to half-time 2-0 down having barely made an impression on the game. The only felt impact they managed to have on Barcelona were two clattering challenges from Victor Wanyama on Messi in the first half. And the very fact that Wanyama, who Spurs tried and failed to sell in the summer, was starting this game says it all about the balance of resources in this tie. Spurs’ best midfield might have been able to stay in a game with Barcelona, but this was a long way from that.

Given all of this, Spurs’ injuries, their technical inferiority, their mixed start to the season, the reality of Messi, the second-half fightback looks even more impressive. Of course they rode their luck, reliant on the fact that Messi twice danced through on goal, and twice rolled his finish onto the same far post. But how could any time not rely on luck in a game like this?

The facts are that Kane pulled one back, showing that old ruthless cut inside and bottom-corner arrow reminiscent of him at his best. And, looking sharper than ever, Kane chased down Clement Lenglet, winning back the ball, setting up Lamela to have his shot deflect off Lenglet and in. There were even moments before Messi tucked away his second of the night when it felt as if Spurs might rescue an implausible 3-3. When Lenglet deflected Lucas Moura’s shot, some Spurs fans celebrated as if the net were about to bulge.

A final score of 3-3 would not have been a fair reflection of the passage of play, but if Spurs had managed to scrap their way there then their heart would have deserved it. 4-2 was a fairer reflection of the technical and individual gulf between the sides, although on those terms it feels insufficient.

But none of these analyses about superiority or contingency can get away from the fact that the difference between the two teams was one man. Tottenham played almost as well as they could, given that they had a weaker hand, shorn of some of their best cards, and obviously not one remotely comparable to Messi. And no-one can blame Spurs for that.