Milan are in the quarterfinals after holding off Tottenham

Milan offered their most competitive version of the season and are in the quarterfinals of the Champions League for the first time since 2012. Solid in defence, the Italian champions kept Tottenham from scoring in 180 minutes of play and made the most of their performance in the Brahim Díaz’s only goal in the first leg.

Stefano Pioli, architect of last season’s ‘scudetto’, reinvented Milan after a terrible start to the year and in the first half controlled Tottenham with a solid line of three centre-backs led by of the young German Malick Thiaw and a midfield solvent who bet on a more connecting game in contrast to the preferred more direct football of ‘spurs.

No chance in the first half

There was no shot between the three sticks in this first act as Milan’s best chance came on a strategic play that Junior Messias, with space, wasted on a well-crossed shot.

Tottenham’s expected outpouring in search of a goal to level the tie did not materialize as they consistently struggled to make plays and Harry Kane had to drop his position to unload balls, but without being unbalanced as usual.

Kane only caused concern moments before the break with an attempted pass which, deflected by a defender, had to be released with his body by a confident Mike Maignan, recovering from his long injury after coming off the first leg.

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In the second half, Tottenham pressed the minutes even more, especially when Pedro Porro came in from the right for Emerson Royal to pass on the left.

Kalulu, Thiaw and Tomori, Imperial

It was an attack more by pushing than a head, which was well countered by Kalulu, Thiaw and Tomori, central defenders of a dangerous Milan in their counter attacks led by an increasingly transcendental Brahim Díaz in his quality. In one of these, the Malaga man managed to seal the tie in the 50th minute but Fraser Forster blocked his shot from point-blank range.

A shot from Pierre Höjbjerg towards the squad taken by Maignan, well positioned, was the clearest option for Tottenham, who suffered a final blow when Cristian Romero saw a second yellow card (76′) for stopping the run of Theo Hernández, who soon escaped the penalty.

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The 0-0 result was unshakable by Tottenham’s lack of energy, even though Maignan headed Kane into the discount, and Milan’s lack of success in sentencing counter-attacks, such as Divock Origi’s last-gasp shot on the post . The seven-time European champions are back in the quarterfinals after a long drought.