Antonio Conte's
return to Tottenham after five weeks away following gallbladder surgery ended
in disappointment as AC Milan advanced to the Champions League quarter-finals
with a 1-0 aggregate victory over Spurs in a lackluster Round of 16 second leg.
Despite Conte's presence, Spurs were unable to overturn their deficit from the
first leg after conceding an early goal by AC Milan's Brahim Diaz. The
situation worsened when Cristian Romero was sent off late in the game after
receiving a second yellow card, leaving Spurs to face a disappointing exit from
the competition.
In a lackluster Round of 16 second leg, AC
Milan held off Tottenham to secure a spot in the Champions League quarterfinals
with a 1-0 aggregate win. Despite the return of manager Antonio Conte following
his gallbladder surgery, Tottenham failed to overturn their 1-0 deficit from
the first leg in Italy. The match ended in a goalless draw, with Tottenham
unable to create many scoring opportunities.
With just 12 minutes to go,
Tottenham's chances of a comeback were dashed when defender Cristian Romero was
sent off for a second yellow card. This marked Spurs' third consecutive game
without scoring, having lost two and being eliminated from the FA Cup and
Champions League, as well as hindering their hopes of a top-four finish in the
Premier League. Meanwhile, AC Milan, who are also fighting to make it to next
season's Champions League, advanced to the quarter-finals for the first time
since the 2011-12 season. Despite being behind from the first leg, Tottenham
did not display any sense of urgency in the first half, failing to score for
the seventh time in their eight Champions League matches this season. Neither
side was able to produce a shot on target during the first 45 minutes, with
Milan comfortable and Spurs lacking ideas and intensity in possession. The
visitors finally had the first attempt on goal in the second half, with Brahim
Diaz managing to get past a defender after a cutback from Junior Messias, but
Fraser Forster, standing in for the injured Hugo Lloris in the Tottenham goal,
was able to block his shot with his legs. The game ended in a goalless draw,
and AC Milan advanced to the quarter-finals with a 1-0 aggregate victory.
As the match entered the final
stages, Tottenham started to push forward with more urgency. Pierre-Emile
Hojbjerg managed to create the first clear opportunity for Spurs when he forced
Milan goalkeeper Mike Maignan into a save, tipping the midfielder's shot over
the bar. However, Cristian Romero's reckless challenge on Theo Hernandez near
the touchline earned him a second yellow card, effectively ending Tottenham's
challenge. The Spurs supporters expressed their disappointment by booing
manager Antonio Conte when he substituted Dejan Kulusevski with defender
Davinson Sanchez. In stoppage time, Harry Kane's header almost pulled one back
for Tottenham, but Maignan made a great save. Milan substitute Divock Origi
then hit the post with a breakaway effort. However, these late chances were not
enough for Spurs to turn the tie around, and Milan secured their place in the
quarterfinal draw on March 17th.
