UEFA Champions League: AC Milan Hold Off Toothless Tottenham Hotspur to Reach Quarters

Antonio Conte mentioned Tottenham nonetheless want time to develop into a European power after bowing out within the final 16 of the Champions League 1-0 on mixture to AC Milan after a 0-0 draw on Wednesday.

A European elimination sizzling on the heels of an exit from the FA Cup means Spurs’ 15-year wait to win a trophy will lengthen for at the least one other season.

Conte’s return to the touchline failed to encourage a response from his facet as Tottenham had been toothless in assault and had to play the ultimate 12 minutes a person down as Cristian Romero was despatched off for 2 bookable offences.

“I’m actually sorry for the followers, however we can not invent the win or to hope for a miracle someday {that a} trophy goes into our coaching floor,” said Conte.

“We have to build and have patience. I understand the fans don’t have patience as for a long time Tottenham is not winning.”

Victory over two legs takes Milan into the quarter-finals for the primary time since 2012.

“We deserved this end result, regardless that we may have scored extra,” said Milan striker Olivier Giroud.

“We showed quality, spirit, and we could have won tonight as well.”

Animated Conte

Kick-off was delayed by 10 minutes after the later arrival of each side due to site visitors congestion, however it took far longer for the competition to get going.

Conte was again in cost after taking extra time after the primary leg to recuperate from gallbladder surgical procedure.

The Italian was his ordinary animated self and was proven a yellow card by referee Clement Turpin for his protestations at a reserving for Clement Lenglet.

However, his gamers lacked the identical vitality as Spurs failed to rise to the event.

Tottenham have now gained simply two of their final seven video games, together with defeat to second-tier Sheffield United within the FA Cup.

Conte’s contract expires on the finish of the season and he did little to quash hypothesis that he’ll depart on the finish of the marketing campaign.

“The scenario is de facto clear. It is one 12 months and three months since I turned coach of Tottenham, I at all times mentioned the identical issues,” added Conte.

“We need time and patience because we don’t have a solid foundation to be competitive to win in my opinion.

“At the moment the club knows very well my thoughts and I have a great relationship with my chairman, with (sporting director) Fabio Paratici, but it doesn’t mean I don’t tell them my vision.

“Now we have to finish the season. I’m happy to work in Tottenham but at the end we’ll make a decision.”

Only profligate ending by Milan saved Spurs from one other defeat on the evening.

Brahim Diaz scored the one objective of the tie and his jinking run contained in the Spurs field simply lacked the end as Fraser Forster’s outstretched leg deflected the ball to security.

Spurs at the least pressured Mike Maignan right into a save 25 minutes from time as he tipped over Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg’s strike.

Conte gambled by switching to a entrance 4 for the ultimate 20 minutes with Richarlison becoming a member of Harry Kane, Dejan Kulusevski and Son Heung-min up entrance.

But Kane’s solely probability to save his facet got here deep in stoppage time when his header was nicely saved by Maignan.

By that time, Spurs had been a person down due to Romero’s indiscipline.

The Argentine noticed pink for the third time in his Spurs profession after lunging in on Theo Hernandez.

At the opposite finish Sandro Tonali wasted one other wonderful probability by going for objective himself with teammates in assist earlier than Divock Origi’s effort got here again off the within of the submit.

But it didn’t matter because the seven-time European champions held agency to finish greater than a decade of ready to attain the final eight.

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(This story has not been edited by News18 workers and is printed from a syndicated information company feed)