Milan-Tottenham, diretta 1-0: goal at Diaz- Corriere.it

Diaz’s was the first goal in this edition of the Champions League for the Spaniard.

In the 6th minute Leao wins another free-kick, this time the foul is from Kulusevski; on the developments Theo goes away to the left and puts in the middle, after a back and forth Diaz scores. The Frenchman commits Forster first, then Diaz himself finds a second rejection and, by squeezing, the goal from less than a meter away. At this link the match minute by minute.

Leao can already be seen who, in the 2nd minute, tries to lunge but is stopped with a foul by Emerson Royal. However, the first corner is won in the 4th minute. Then Kulusevski sends an attempt to assist Emerson to the bottom.

The anthem of the Champions League rings out, everything is ready at the San Siro (which he sings).

Milan (3-4-3): Tatarusanu, Kalulu, Kjaer, Thiaw; Saelemaekers, Krunic, Tonali, Theo, Brahim, Giroud, Leao. Available: Mirante, Gabbia, Calabria, Ballo-Touré, Pobega, Origi, Rebic, De Ketelaere, Messias. Coach: Pioli.

«Tonight the level is very high, we arrive at a moment not in great form and conviction, with a few injured too many – comments Paolo Maldini, Milan’s technical director, who spoke to Sky Sport before the match – However, we want to look good and move on. It will be a delicate match, we want to keep the result open for the second leg. We play a lot with it». So of the Champions League against Tottenham.
There is also the president Gerry Cardinale: «We talked with him mostly about this game, not about the future. I don’t think we will have time to talk about renewals. Right now the players have to concentrate on an important competition, for which we have been fighting for 2-3 years».

Milan, therefore, breathe in the smell of knockout on their way to the final in Istanbul 3,262 days after their last elimination.

Milan are back in the knockout stages of the Champions League for the first time since 2013/14, when they were defeated 1-5 by Atlético Madrid in the round of 16. The Rossoneri have not scored in nine of their last 14 knockout matches in the tournament.

Tottenham coach Antonio Conte has achieved eight wins in his last nine matches as manager against Milan (L1), between 2013 and 2021. In fact, he has won all of his last three away games against the Rossoneri without conceding a goal (2-0 in the 2014, 2-0 in 2019 and 3-0 in 2021 – still in Serie A).

On the wings, space for Saelemakers and Theo Hernandez, with Krunic in place of the injured Bennacer and Tonali in the middle. Forward the trident Brahim Diaz and Leao play alongside Giroud. In Tottenham, Conte lines up Son, Perisic and Kulusevski together with striker Kane.

Tottenham played three Champions League games at the Meazza, the only victory coming against Milan (two defeats against Inter in 2010, 4-3, and in 2018, 2-1). 60% of Spurs’ goals have been scored by Gareth Bale (3/5), including his October 2010 hat-trick against Inter Milan – the Welshman is one of only two players to have scored a San Siro hat-trick in the tournament as an opponent of the Milanese (the other is Rivaldo, with Barcelona in 2000).

(Carlos Passerini) Last minute defection at Milan: Tomori won’t even be on the bench due to a precautionary choice. Instead of him there will therefore be Kjaer alongside Thiaw and Kalulu.

(Carlos Passerini) It will be very tough, but if Milan aren’t in great shape neither are Tottenham, who are outside the Champions League zone in the Premier League and conceded four goals from Leicester on Saturday. At San Siro he will have neither goalkeeper Lloris nor director Bentancur. He remains stronger, that’s for sure. But the Devil does not start beaten. He counts on trying. And above all believe it.

(Carlos Passerini) “We’ll need a top-level performance, we’ll have to be very attentive and intense, we’ve prepared ourselves for this,” added Pioli, who tonight in un San Siro sold out as per the tradition of European nights (the patron Cardinal is also expected) he will have to do without the fundamental Bennacer, who has not yet recovered from the muscle injury. Instead, Tomori should do it, who in the three-man defense confirmed he would find Kalulu again, with whom he made up a steel couple in the championship season. He needs to recover that compactness, starting from tonight, when he will be in front of us «The Hurricane» Kane, backed up by Son. “It’s not the form that makes the difference, but the attitude,” Pierino rightly said yesterday in the press conference. It’s the truth: tonight Pioli will put himself on the tactical side with the Spurs by Antonio Conte, but the interpretation will be decisive: if Milan withdraw too much, thinking only of not taking them in view of the return on March 8 in London, it’s over before it begins. This is why we need the real Devil, the one who undoubtedly played the most European football in Italy until before the break.

(Carlos Passerini) Try it. And then believe it. In order not to have regrets, so as not to have to regret having given up before the time. The Tottenham obstacle is already high on its own, because the Premier League is from another world, with a turnover at least twice as rich, with stronger players, bigger budgets, higher salaries, and for the little Devil of recent times is even more so. The truth is that four months ago it would have been a little easier, the Rossoneri’s chances of reaching the quarterfinals would have been higher. Who knows, however, whether last Friday’s crisis-fighting victory against Turin has not given Milan back at least part of the certainties lost in this creepy start to the year.

The Champions League is back with the first two round of 16 (PSG-Bayern Monaco at the same time): the Rossoneri want to continue Friday’s renewed success against Turin