Tottenham Hotspur’s tie against AC Milan inspires Baily Shorter with memories of former head-to-heads between the two teams
Tottenham will take on Italian champions AC Milan in a round of 16 tie that stirs strong memories for me.
Yes, Antonio Conte’s men have been in mixed form and are currently outside of the Champions League spots in the Premier League, with talk of the club’s now all-time top scorer Harry Kane leaving and Conte himself being unhappy. Yet previous nights at the San Siro could inspire them as they resume their European campaign.
Tottenham first qualified for the modern Champions League in 2010 under Harry Redknapp, when they were drawn in a group with holders Inter Milan. It provided the first glimpse of the full potential of the now five-times Champions League winner Gareth Bale, as the Welshman scored a second-half hat-trick in a 4-3 defeat at Inter that October (and then ran Maicon ragged in a victory back at White Hart Lane).
Four months later they were back at the San Siro for a round of 16 tie against Milan – and a famous 1-0 win. An 80th-minute Peter Crouch goal proved the difference on a night that Italian midfield Gennaro Gattuso locked horns with Redknapp’s assistant Joe Jordan in a touchline tête-à-tête. Tottenham then ground out a 0-0 draw at home to progress to a quarter-final (and eventual exit) against Real Madrid.
Spurs did not return to the competition for another six years but, come 2018, they were back at the San Siro for an opening group fixture against Inter. It was another dramatic night but this time for the wrong reasons, as Spurs fans saw their team concede two late goals in a 2-1 defeat. As it happened, they bounced back to win their group and progress all the way to the final.
Now? Another San Siro visit awaits and the prospect of some fresh fireworks. Bring on Valentine’s night.
