Peter strike sink Milan at san siro.
Peter Crouch's goal 10
minutes from time handed
Tottenham Hotspur a 1-0 win
over below-par AC Milan in
their Champions League
last-16 first leg on Tuesday.
Spurs were the better side in
the first half and Milan in the
second, and England striker
Crouch netted slightly
against the run of play
following winger Aaron
Lennon's swift break and
pass.
The Premier League side
bossed the early exchanges
amid heavy rain inside the
San Siro cauldron and had an
early shout for a penalty
turned down when the fit-
again Rafael van der Vaart's
effort appeared to strike
Alessandro Nesta on the
arm.
Crouch and Lennon caused
seven-times winners Milan
all sorts of problems and the
Serie A leaders lost
goalkeeper Christian Abbiati
after 18 minutes with a head
injury. He could miss the
second leg in London on
March 9.
Abbiati went to hospital for
checks on concussion and
his replacement Marco Amelia
had to touch a fierce Van der
Vaart shot over the bar
after Zlatan Ibrahimovic had
fired a freekick wide in
Milan's first meaningful
chance.
Milan boss Massimiliano
Allegri, with several
midfielders such as Andrea
Pirlo injured and the likes of
Antonio Cassano ineligible,
sent out a defensive-looking
team with centre back Thiago
Silva in midfield and in the
first half it showed.
He threw on Brazil forward
Alexandre Pato at the break
but Spurs again came the
closest early on in the
second half with Van der
Vaart's superb chip drifting
wide although Milan's Mario
Yepes then had two headers
well-saved by Heurelho
Gomes.
The hosts then grew hugely
in confidence as the game
became spicy with Milan's
Mathieu Flamini and Gennaro
Gattuso, who will miss the
second leg after a booking,
living up to their combative
images before Crouch struck
with a crisp finish.
Milan thought they had
equalised late in stoppage
time but Ibrahimovic's
spectacular overhead strike
was ruled out for a push.
Gattuso was involved in a
melee after the final whistle
after confronting Spurs
assistant coach Joe Jordan
on the touchline.
Teams
AC Milan: 32-Christian
Abbiati (1-Marco Amelia 18);
20-Ignazio Abate, 13-
Alessandro Nesta, 76-Mario
Yepes, 77-Luca Antonini; 8-
Gennaro Gattuso, 33-Thiago
Silva, 16-Mathieu Flamini;
70-Robinho, 10-Clarence
Seedorf (7-Alexandre Pato
46), 11-Zlatan Ibrahimovic
Tottenham Hotspur: 1-
Heurelho Gomes; 22-Vedran
Corluka (39-Jonathan
Woodgate 59), 13-William
Gallas, 20-Michael Dawson,
32-Benoit Assou-Ekotto; 7-
Aaron Lennon, 12-Wilson
Palacios, 30-Sandro, 40-
Steven Pienaar (21-Niko
Kranjcar 77); 11-Rafael van
der Vaart (14-Luka Modric
62); 15-Peter Crouch
Referee: Stephane Lannoy
(France)
minutes from time handed
Tottenham Hotspur a 1-0 win
over below-par AC Milan in
their Champions League
last-16 first leg on Tuesday.
Spurs were the better side in
the first half and Milan in the
second, and England striker
Crouch netted slightly
against the run of play
following winger Aaron
Lennon's swift break and
pass.
The Premier League side
bossed the early exchanges
amid heavy rain inside the
San Siro cauldron and had an
early shout for a penalty
turned down when the fit-
again Rafael van der Vaart's
effort appeared to strike
Alessandro Nesta on the
arm.
Crouch and Lennon caused
seven-times winners Milan
all sorts of problems and the
Serie A leaders lost
goalkeeper Christian Abbiati
after 18 minutes with a head
injury. He could miss the
second leg in London on
March 9.
Abbiati went to hospital for
checks on concussion and
his replacement Marco Amelia
had to touch a fierce Van der
Vaart shot over the bar
after Zlatan Ibrahimovic had
fired a freekick wide in
Milan's first meaningful
chance.
Milan boss Massimiliano
Allegri, with several
midfielders such as Andrea
Pirlo injured and the likes of
Antonio Cassano ineligible,
sent out a defensive-looking
team with centre back Thiago
Silva in midfield and in the
first half it showed.
He threw on Brazil forward
Alexandre Pato at the break
but Spurs again came the
closest early on in the
second half with Van der
Vaart's superb chip drifting
wide although Milan's Mario
Yepes then had two headers
well-saved by Heurelho
Gomes.
The hosts then grew hugely
in confidence as the game
became spicy with Milan's
Mathieu Flamini and Gennaro
Gattuso, who will miss the
second leg after a booking,
living up to their combative
images before Crouch struck
with a crisp finish.
Milan thought they had
equalised late in stoppage
time but Ibrahimovic's
spectacular overhead strike
was ruled out for a push.
Gattuso was involved in a
melee after the final whistle
after confronting Spurs
assistant coach Joe Jordan
on the touchline.
Teams
AC Milan: 32-Christian
Abbiati (1-Marco Amelia 18);
20-Ignazio Abate, 13-
Alessandro Nesta, 76-Mario
Yepes, 77-Luca Antonini; 8-
Gennaro Gattuso, 33-Thiago
Silva, 16-Mathieu Flamini;
70-Robinho, 10-Clarence
Seedorf (7-Alexandre Pato
46), 11-Zlatan Ibrahimovic
Tottenham Hotspur: 1-
Heurelho Gomes; 22-Vedran
Corluka (39-Jonathan
Woodgate 59), 13-William
Gallas, 20-Michael Dawson,
32-Benoit Assou-Ekotto; 7-
Aaron Lennon, 12-Wilson
Palacios, 30-Sandro, 40-
Steven Pienaar (21-Niko
Kranjcar 77); 11-Rafael van
der Vaart (14-Luka Modric
62); 15-Peter Crouch
Referee: Stephane Lannoy
(France)
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