Spurs get toughest possible draw
So much for winning the group.
I don’t mean that. While we won’t be favourites against AC Milan, Arsenal play Barcelona with the sole aim of keeping the aggregate score down to a respectable level. Milan were the best side we could have faced. They are six points clear at the top of Serie A.
Zlatan Ibrahimović, the world’s highest paid player, is on loan from Barcelona and if Antonio Cassano signs in January as he’s expected to they’ll have another potent attacker they’ve acquired without breaking the bank. Robinho and Alex Pato are two of the most exciting players in Europe and they also have seven World Cup winners in Gianluca Zambrotta, Andrea Pirlo, Filippo Inzaghi, Massimo Oddo, Alessandro Nesta, Rino Gattuso and Ronaldinho.
But Milan won’t be thrilled to have drawn us, especially after we turned over their neighbours. Kevin-Prince Boateng had a good World Cup, but any team in which he’s a regular aren’t to be feared.
Tom Huddlestone will be back and if we have our other key players fit – Gareth Bale, Luka Modrić, Rafael van der Vaart – we are capable of beating them over two legs. When we visited the San Siro in October we played like a non-league team, Until an unstoppable Gareth Bale hatrick. Lessons were learned and our defence hasn’t played as bad as that since. Having the second leg at White Hart Lane is advantageous. This season we’ve been far better coming from behind than holding on to a lead.
It would’ve been nice to have drawn FC Copenhagen or Marseille, but great victories come against great sides and if we beat both Milan clubs on the way to the quarter final it’ll be all the more glorious.
AC Milan v Tottenham Hotspur - 15 February
Tottenham Hotspur v AC Milan - 9 March
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