UEFA Champions League: A.C. Milan versus Tottenham Hotspur - Preview
A.C. Milan
Buoyant with their four goal win over Parma on the weekend, Massimiliano Allegri’s team are in prime condition to face Tottenham in the round of sixteen of the UEFA Champions League.
Milan are currently at the top of the Serie A standings courtesy of their brilliant attacking line-up.
Antonio Cassano’s capture in the winter transfer window has added another dimension to an already talented strike force, which includes the likes of http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Alexandre-Pato-c4901 and Ibrahimovic alongside Robinho.
Milan’s Achilles heel in the UEFA Champions League over the past two seasons has been their defensive frailty. Alessandro Nesta’s frequent injury problems have meant that Milan’s once feared defence is no longer as solid as it used to be.
Additionally, the Rossoneri have had their issues in the midfield area as well.
Veterans such as http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Clarence-Seedorf-c9275 and Ambrosini along with Gattuso have been carrying the former European champions. However, Milan have been on a terrific run of late. Unbeaten in their last five competitive fixtures, Allegri’s team have scored nine goals
during this time.
Tottenham Hotspur
Harry Redknapp’s club is presently 4th in the English Premier League rankings. Spurs qualified as the top ranked team from their group but they have been unfortunate to get an unfavourable draw against A.C. Milan in the round of sixteen.
Tottenham won their latest Premier League tie against Sunderland by two goals to one but injury troubles have bogged down their ambitions in domestic competitions. Out of their last five competitive fixtures, Spurs have won three, drawn one and lost one.
Their only defeat came in the FA Cup against Fulham at Craven Cottage.
Furthermore, Tottenham’s manager, Harry Redknapp, has confirmed that his team will go all out for the win in San Siro, so things have definitely heated up nicely before this Anglo-Italian clash. In his pre-match notes the ex-West Ham United manager said,
“Attacking football is what got us here in the first place. We have had a go all through this competition so we will have a right to go again at San Siro”.
Tottenham did visit the San Siro during the group stages of the UEFA Champions League but they lost to http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Inter-c39567 Milan by four goals to three after a late Gareth Bale hat-trick threatened to bring the Londoners back into the matchup.
Team news
http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Antonio-Cassano-c6302 is cup tied therefore he won’t be in the A.C. Milan squad, which will face Tottenham on Tuesday night in San Siro.
http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Andrea-Pirlo-c5702 and Ambrosini are also out with their respective injury issues, which means that Kevin Prince Boateng, might start for the home side. Zambrotta is also on the sidelines for the Rossoneri due to his fitness problems.
Expected A.C. Milan line-up: Abbiati, Ibate, Nesta, Bonera, Antonini, http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Thiago-Silva-c34903, Mathew Flamini, Clarence Seedorf, Robinho, Ibrahimovic, Pato
Tottenham are without the services of http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Tom-Huddlestone-c35227 is also injured whereas
Jermain Jenas is suspended for the first leg at San Siro.
Expected Tottenham line-up: Gomez, Corluka, Gallas, Dawson, Assou-Ekotto, Rafael Van Der Vaart, http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Peter-Crouch-c29741
Key players
http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Zlatan-Ibrahimovic-c38029 has a reputation for going amiss in these big European ties but his recent form points towards the belief that he is the key man for A.C. Milan. The Swedish target man has been in terrific touch ever since his loan-move from Barcelona
to A.C. Milan in the summer of 2010.
Playing alongside Pato and Robinho has allowed Zlatan to express himself more comprehensively. Therefore, he will be the man to watch out for as far as A.C. Milan’s star studded line-up is concerned.
On the other hand, Tottenham’s offensive traffic and its flow depends on “the Flying Dutchman” Rafael Van Der Vaart. The former Hamburg playmaker has seen a surge in form with the White Hart Lane club and Harry Redknapp has been successful in building his
team around the ex-Real Madrid midfielder.
Van Der Vaart’s touches on the night might tilt the tie in favour of Tottenham as both the teams face off each other at San Siro.
Prediction
Both the teams have crucial players missing but their form going into this match has been impressive as well. A draw is the most likely result from this tense European cup encounter. Prediction: 1-1
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