Terriers to tiki-taka for Toby

In terms of defensive tests, Toby Alderweireld knows we’ll go from one footballing extreme to another when we face Barcelona in the Champions League this week.

It was all hands to the pump at Huddersfield on Saturday as the Terriers went for an aerial route into our penalty area - a succession of long throws and set-pieces all dealt with as we kept a clean sheet in a 2-0 win in the Premier League.

La Liga champions Barca will be the opposite at Wembley on Wednesday night (8pm) with the likes of Messi, Suarez, Coutinho and Dembele looking to undo us with their famed ‘tiki-taka’ passing game.

"Huddersfield was a real test - throw-ins, corners, free-kicks - every set-piece came into the box and I thought we defended very, very well," said Toby.

"It’s like a game within a game and you have to dig deep for every ball that comes in. It’s a test, a mental test, it’s about character and the mentality to win the ball, and concentration.

"Obviously, Barcelona will be a totally different game!

"They have world-class talent, we know that. We will have to be at the top of our game to get a win but at home, we’ve shown already that we have the team to beat anyone. This is a good opportunity to show how strong we are together, mentally as well."

Meanwhile, Saturday’s success at the John Smith’s Stadium made it three wins in a week including back-to-back away victories in the Premier League after a rare run of three straight defeats.

"We’ve made a decent start (five wins in seven in the Premier League) but you always want to do better,” added Toby. "We’ve dug deep, worked hard and bounced back well. Now it’s important to keep it going."