March 09, (THEWILL) – In the London Stadium on Wednesday, AC Milan knocked Tottenham Hotspur out of the UEFA Champions League with a 1-0 victory in the last 16.
Antonio Conte returned to the touchline following gallbladder surgery, but his tactics and substitutions were loudly criticised by disgruntled home supporters on an infamous night in Spurs’ modern history. The home side struggled to carve out chances, and Milan hit them on the counter. A snap-shot from Olivier Giroud had to be palmed away by Fraser Forster, while a diving header from Harry Kane bounced off the turf and went behind.
With under 15 minutes remaining, Cristian Romero picked up a second yellow charge for a high challenge on Theo Hernandez, all but killing the chances of Spurs to get something from the tie. Home fans loudly booed Conte’s decision to replace forward, Dejan Kulusevski with defender, Davinson Sanchez, with the hosts still needing a goal in the final 10 minutes.
Stefano Pioli’s team did not have to do too much to overcome the supposed threat of Spurs, who failed to overturn their 1-0 first leg deficit. Milan advanced to the quarter-finals of the competition for the first time since they won it in 2007.
Tottenham will be back in home action on Saturday when they take on Nottingham Forest in the English Premier League, while Milan host Salernitana in Serie A next Monday.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
