Kieran Trippier holds the key to Tottenham’s success against Barcelona

Tottenham Hotspur have made a mixed start to their season this time around. After a glorious start which saw the Lilywhites enjoy a winning streak of three games, including a 3-0 humbling of Manchester United at Old Trafford, Spurs lost momentum with back-to-back defeats at the hands of Watford and Liverpool.

They couldn’t turn their fortunes around in the Champions League as well and suffered a 2-1 defeat at the hands of Inter Milan on matchday one. When Christian Eriksen put the visitors in the driver’s seat early in the second half, it seemed as if the Lilywhites were about to bag all three points.

However, a late blast from the Italian giants turned the game on its head. Mauro Icardi’s clinical finish followed by Matias Vecino’s injury-time header ensured the miseries continued for Pochettino’s men.

However, Spurs have done a better job since that defeat and have resurrected their campaign with victories over Brighton and Huddersfield Town. Although they looked good in those two games, things will be different when they play host to Barcelona on Wednesday.

Spurs were without the services of Kieran Trippier and Toby Alderweireld during the trip to Italy to face Inter. While the Lilywhites should be buoyed by their return, they do have several injury issues. The absence of playmaker Christian Eriksen and attacking midfielder Dele Alli should be a major cause of concern for the manager while Mousa Dembele and Jan Vertonghen will face a late fitness test after suffering muscle strains.

The long list of injuries will not do any good to Spurs’ chances of coming away with a positive result. The two teams will clash for only the third time in their history and for the first time since 1982 when Barcelona beat Spurs 2-1 on aggregate in the semi-finals of the Cup Winners Cup.

Barcelona will be the outright favourites to win the game despite the recent La Liga results. In fact, they registered an emphatic 4-0 win over PSV Eindhoven on matchday one with Lionel Messi scoring a hat-trick. But Spurs should take heart from the fact that Barcelona have won only one out of their last seven Champions League games away from home.

Spurs must produce one of their best performances in recent times to mount a significant challenge against a star-studded Barcelona line-up. Undoubtedly, all eyes will be on Harry Kane when they take the field on Wednesday.

Although Kane continues to remain a key figure in front of the goal, Kieran Trippier is the man who might play a pivotal role in Spurs’ success due to his ability to contribute equally on both ends. 

Trippier, who was one of the standout performers for England at the World Cup, has hit the ground running in the Premier League with some impressive outings. The 28-year-old has started six games for the Lilywhites and has contributed with a goal and a couple of assists, along with discharging his defensive duties diligently.

Not many players in the Premier League can provide that perfect balance like Trippier does. His levels of concentration and composure have increased greatly in recent times and he has the confidence to dispossess the opposition with tackles in crucial areas of the park.

Trippier averages 2 tackles, 0.7 interceptions and 1.5 aerial duels won per game – something any defender would be proud of. On the other hand, the 28-year-old averages 2 key passes and 0.5 shots per game, which are roughly the stats that define an attacking midfielder.

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He will be Spurs’ best bet to combat the threat of Ousmane Dembele down the left and make attacking runs on the overlap to supply the forwards with crosses. Trippier was brilliant with his crossing over the weekend and created a lot of chances. He should do the same against Barcelona and link the play with Lucas Moura down the right.

Trippier is likely to face a two-way battle – one against Ousmane Dembele in the defence and the other against Jordi Alba while going up front.

That said, Trippier and Kane must be at the top of their game to extract a positive result against the Catalan giants.