UCL: Spurs suffer narrow first-leg defeat
AC Milan 1 - 0 Tottenham Hotspur
Spurs suffered a narrow first-leg defeat in the San Siro
Diaz nodded in early on after Spurs goalkeeper Fraser Forster had saved a Theo Hernandez shot and then superbly got a hand on the scorer's initial follow-up attempt.
Antonio Conte's side looked relatively comfortable for long periods of the contest against the seven-time European champions. A young midfield pairing of Pape Sarr and Oliver Skipp deputised confidently for Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg (suspended) and Rodrigo Bentancur (injured).
Not much attacking threat from the away side
They were rarely able to build any attacking momentum with their front three of Harry Kane, Son Heung-min and Dejan Kulusevski. They were all well-shackled by an AC Milan side that was well-disciplined.
Will Milan have regrets?
Mian's only regret will be not to have put the tie beyond this depleted Spurs side. Can they get at least a draw in North London to see them qualify for the last eight of the competition?
All the best reaction
Tottenham manager Antonio Conte spoke with BT Sport and other media outlets after the match. He said: "I think it was better today and high intensity and I think we played against a good team and don't forget Milan last season won the league in Italy. I think that to concede the first goal we can do much better. Instead, we concede a goal after maybe only 5 minutes. Then we try to lead the game and create a situation to score but I think Milan defended very well. We created the chances to score but in the end, we are talking about a defeat, a loss."
This video from the official Spurs Twitter account gives a good insight into the mood of Conte and the club.
'I know I can count on Sarr and Skipp 100%'
— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) February 14, 2023
Antonio Conte reacts to tonight's #UCL defeat in Milan 🗣 pic.twitter.com/rd18VqtbcX
AC Milan boss Stefano Piol told the BBC: “It wasn’t hard to prepare this game tactically, with all the duels, but I am very happy with how my players performed. We could have scored a second goal – we had some clear chances. I am definitely happy with the performance but it’s only the first leg and the next game will be surely more difficult.”
🎙️ Post-match reactions 🎙️
— AC Milan (@acmilan) February 15, 2023
The boss, @Kalulujr_ and Thiaw on #ACMTOT
Le interviste post-partita da San Siro #UCL #SempreMilan pic.twitter.com/qcXl6ckD8a
What are the fans saying?
One Spurs fan commented on the BT Sport highlights of the match. He said: "Scoreline doesn't reflect the game. Milan could've had at least three, and Tottenham did have chances too. It's all to play for in the second leg."
Sean Kelly also commented on the same platform. This neutral fan was fall of praise for the Spurs keeper on the night. Sean added: "Forster's always been criminally underrated. Just watch when he played against Barca for Celtic when they won 2-1 in Glasgow. The great wall they call him."
One Spurs on Twitter wasn't too happy with performance. This is how he responded to the official Spurs account.
We’ll always turn up. Shame the team can’t do the same pic.twitter.com/HbUJuhzOTG
— HM🇸🇪 (@HenryM00re04) February 15, 2023
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