Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on March 3, 2011 - 13:43
UEFA Soccer: Champions League Tottenham vs. Milan Round of 16, Second leg will be 03/09/2011 at 20:45CET in White Hart Lane, London. Tottenham Hotspur FC will hope to continue their winning streak at White Hart Lane when AC Milan visit for the second leg of the clubs' round of 16 contest seeking to turn round a 1-0 home loss.
Harry Redknapp's team have won all four games at home in this season's competition, including a 3-1 defeat of Milan's neighbors FC Internazionale Milano on 2 November en route to claiming first place in Group A. Massimiliano Allegri's Milan, who recorded one win, one draw, and one defeat on their travels in the group stage, bowed out at this stage in last season's UEFA Champions League, going down 4-0 in the second leg at Manchester United FC and 7-2 overall. The Italian side has work to do having lost 1-0 in Milan on 15 February, Peter Crouch scoring the only goal ten minutes from time. Only once in the UEFA Champions League era have a team lost the first leg at home and progressed, AFC Ajax overcoming Panathinaikos FC 3-1 on aggregate in the 1995/96 semi-finals.
In previous meetings, Tottenham prevailed in the clubs' one previous two-legged encounter in the 1971/72 UEFA Cup semi-final. They won the first leg in north London 2-1, Steve Perryman's double overturning Romeo Benetti's opener, before a 1-1 draw in Milan, Alan Mullery's goal taking Tottenham through despite Gianni Rivera's penalty equalizer. Keeping goal for Milan was Fabio Cudicini, father of Tottenham's reserve custodian Carlo.
Tottenham are looking to reach the quarter-finals for the first time since their only previous European Champion Clubs' Cup appearance in 1961/62. Milan have not been to the last eight since winning the trophy in 2007 and are trying to avoid a third round of 16 elimination by English opposition in four seasons after losses to United last term and Arsenal FC in 2008. At home this season Tottenham have hit 14 goals and conceded just two in recording four successive victories, play-off round included. Away to English teams Milan have managed one win, five draws and eight defeats. Their only victory was a 1-0 success at United at this stage of the UEFA Champions League in 2004/05. Hernán Crespo was the scorer; Alessandro Nesta, Gennaro Gattuso, Andrea Pirlo, Clarence Seedorf and substitute Massimo Ambrosini all featured.
Unfortunately for Milan, of the five previous occasions they have lost the first leg at home in UEFA competition they have won only once, against No. 1 FC Saarbrücken in the 1955/56 European Cup first round, Milan's first European tie, when a 4-3 defeat in Italy was followed by a 4-1 away success. However, FC Barcelona (1959/60 European Cup first round and 2005/06 UEFA Champions League semi-finals), RCD Espanyol (1987/88 UEFA Cup second round) and United (2009/10) all built on a first-leg away win to eliminate Milan.
This match looks to be in favor of Tottenham, but when it comes to the Champions League, the outcome can never be truly predicted as Milan might just reach down and pull out a victory, however unlikely it may seem, as Milan’s Mathieu Flamini insisted "the tie is still there to be won" despite AC Milan's 1-0 home loss to Tottenham Hotspur FC, while Ignazio Abate rued a lack of "clear-mindedness" in front of goal.