Tottenham 0 AC Milan 0 (agg 1-0): Tottenham have knocked seven-time winners AC Milan out of the Champions League after keeping another clean sheet against the Italian giants in the second leg of their last 16 tie at White Hart Lane. Peter Crouch's late strike at the San Siro three weeks ago was enough for Harry Redknapp's side to progress to the quarter-finals, but the visitors didn't make life as easy for them as they did then.
It was a nervy performance from Spurs, and they rode their luck at times, while William Gallas deserves particular praise for his calm covering clearance off the line from Robinho’s scuffed first half effort. In truth, however, Milan did not pose the sort of attacking threat expected of a front three comprising Pato, Robinho and Zlatan Ibrahimovic, despite controlling large amounts of possession.
Asked about the side’s defensive qualities, Crouch told ITV1: “That’s what it was all about. Sometimes in the Champions League you come up against top quality players and you have to dig in.
“I think we deserved it over two legs.”
He continued: “It’s huge. The club’s not been in the Champions League before. ”(After) going to the San Siro and winning, the lads have defended magnificently tonight. I’m really pleased to be in the next round."
The performance was probably the most un-Tottenham like effort of their European campaign so far, with the team forced to battle for the ball in a gritty display. Harry Redknapp will not care one bit though as his side’s 1-0 win in the San Siro proved enough to see Spurs through to the last eight in their first season in Europe’s premier club competition.
Much of the pre-match talk had centred on whether Bale would be fit enough to start after Redknapp said yesterday that he was “struggling” to recover from a back injury. The Spurs boss ended up playing it safe, with the 21-year-old taking a place on the bench, with Steven Pienaar preferred down the left flank.
Jermain Defoe’s two goals at Wolves were not enough to earn him a starting place, with Redknapp opting to stick with the Crouch and Rafael van der Vaart combination that has worked so well in Europe this year.
Milan head coach Massimiliano Allegri named Mathieu Flamini in his side three weeks after he was guilty of committing what Redknapp described as a “horrific” challenge on Vedran Corluka.
Despite Crouch’s goal in Milan, Redknapp had urged his team to go on the attack and they obliged, taking only 90 seconds to fashion their first chance, with Van der Vaart toe-poking just wide from 20 yards.
Ibrahimovic threatened at the other end before Crouch thought he should have had a penalty when he appeared to have his shirt pulled by Ignazio Abate but referee Frank De Bleeckere waved play on.
Milan soon settled, though, and quickly began to dictate much of the play, with Kevin-Prince Boateng, Robinho, and Clarence Seedorf probing the Spurs defence with searching through-balls.
Heurelho Gomes saved well from a 25-yard Zlatan Ibrahimovic free-kick before Robinho had a crack at goal with a 30-yard strike that ballooned over the Spurs
bar. Tottenham almost went 1-0 down on 25 minutes when Gomes needlessly raced out of his goal to challenge Pato, but the Brazilian slipped past and fed the ball to Robinho, whose deflected shot was superbly hooked off the line by Gallas.
Van der Vaart curled a 25-yard free-kick just over Christian Abbiati’s goal moments later but Milan came storming up the other end soon after, with Pato drawing a good save out of Gomes from eight yards.
Milan continued to look the more dangerous of the two teams as the first half neared its end and Gallas did well again to deny Ibrahimovic a chance from inside the box.
Spurs came out for the second half much more confidently with Lennon cruising down the right before crossing to Crouch, who was unmarked at the back post. The England striker opted to head the ball across the box but no-one was there and he should have headed goalwards instead.
Minutes later Flamini fired a low ball across the box that somehow did not result in a tap-in.
Milan’s best chance arrived when Abate released Robinho into the box and he fired low at Gomes. The ball squirmed free to the Brazil striker but the Spurs stopper got a hand to the loose ball and the Brazilian eventually poked wide.
The home crowd sang for Bale’s introduction and it came with 25 minutes left when he replaced Van der Vaart. Milan looked to German youngster Alexander Merkel for inspiration as he replaced Boateng with 15 minutes remaining.
Pato thought he had put Milan back in the tie when he fired towards goal but his shot rippled into the side netting.
Roman Pavlyuchenko came on for Crouch with eight minutes left as Milan looked to grab the opener to take the game into extra time.
Sandro, who had battled well all night, continued to break up play though and Bale’s pace ensured that Milan did not over-commit forward.
The home fans’ nerves were frayed when Robinho’s deflected shot flew just over after a clever one-two with Ibrahimovic in the 92nd minute but Spurs held on to take the tie 1-0 on aggregate.
