Spurs bow out of Champions League with a whimper to push Conte closer to endgame
HURDLING HARRY: Tottenham Hotspur's Harry Kane and AC Milan's Fikayo Tomori (right) battle for the ball during the Champions League round of sixteen, second leg match at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Wednesday night. Picture: John Walton/PA Wire.
Antonio Conte returned to the Tottenham dugout, but this meek exit from the Champions League may mean he will return to Italy sooner rather than later.
The Italian coach has just 12 games left to pick up the pieces of a season that began with high hopes but has gone steadily downhill, and few now expect Conte to sign an extension to the contract that expires in May.
Tottenham are no better off than when he arrived a year and a half ago, and have gone backwards from the side that reached the final of this competition in 2019. Mauricio Pochettino was the manager then, and many Spurs supporters would like to see the Argentinian back in charge.
It was a listless performance from this Tottenham side who have gone downhill since the season resumed after the World Cup, and much as Milan deserved to go through for their efforts over the two games, Conte's negative approach must be take the blame for his players failing to score over 180 minutes Just like at Chelsea the night before, kickoff was delayed for 10 minutes, and when the game got underway, a huge roar went up from both sets of supporters. Milan's Ultra's made their presence known, and around 20 of them braved the cold north London air by going shirtless.
Conte, back in the dugout after illness, had called in his programme notes for Spurs supporters to make it “as loud as it has ever been” at the stadium.
But after a raucous start, the atmosphere started to fall flat. Spurs hardly had the home supporters on the edge of their seats with their slow build-up play, and the situation was not helped by the delaying tactics of the Italian team, who had the luxury of one-goal lead to protect. At one point Olivier Giroud caused play to be stopped while he adjusted his gloves.
The first half was nervy, predictably so given the first goal was likely to prove decisive. Tottenham looked anxious and disjointed, while Milan made plenty of mistakes too. One of them led to a quick counter-attack from Spurs which ended with an Emerson Royal shot being saved by Mike Maignan in the Milan goal.
The keeper also saved with an outstretched leg when Kane drove in a first-time shot from the right. Milan's best chance of the opening half fell to Junior Messias when he had a clear sight of goal following a well-worked free-kick. But the Brazilian dragged his shot well wide of the far post. Later he hit another effort high and wide. Heung Min Son is still struggling for form and confidence, but he kept going and had one shot deflected away for a corner.
But it was stodgy stuff. Dejan Kulusevski is another forward who was so prolific and effective last season but cannot catch a break at the moment, and wasted two good crossing opportunities before the break.
At half-time, Steve Perryman was interviewed on the pitch. The club legend reminded fans how he once scored a sensational goal to beat Milan back in the 1970s, and some supporters wondered out loud whether Perryman might still be a better option than some of those wearing white last night.
Early in the second-half, Brahim Diaz, who'd scored the only goal of the first leg, had a chance to put the tie beyond Tottenham when he danced his way into the penalty area, but Fraser Forster stood up well to save.
Minutes later, Conte was forced into a change when Ivan Perisic limped off, and the introduction of Pedro Porro gave Spurs more attacking thrust down the right. The Spaniard combined well with Kane to set up Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, whose rising shot was tipped over by Maignan. Porro then fired in a low cross that Kane met with a diving header, but the ball flew wide.
Richarlison was then thrown into the fray as Spurs went in search of a breakthrough. His first act was to clatter Maignan as the keeper collected a high ball, and minutes later the Brazilian was bundled over by Malick Thiaw.
As the game got more feisty Tottenham's hopes were dealt a huge blow when Romero was sent off for a second yellow card, as he clattered Theo Hernandez by the touchline. The Argentinian, who had been booked for a flying lunge on Rafael Leao early on, was lying injured in the Milan technical area when referee Clement Turpin showed him a second yellow and subsequent red card.
The Argentinian regularly walks a disciplinary tightrope and there are times like this when he becomes a liability.
Conte was forced to reshape, and there was consternation when he sent on defender Davinson Sanchez to replace Kulusevski. The momentum Tottenham had been building since half-time stalled and Milan had more chances to finish off Spurs, with the pacy Rafael Leao.
There was still more drama in stoppage time. Kane's header from a Son free-kick lookews like levelling the tie until Maignan dived across his line, and as Milan broke away , substitute Divock Origi shot against the post.
The celebrations from Milan's fans on the final whistle were as loud as the booing from Tottenham supporters, who have nothing left to look forward to this season except for an increasingly frail chance of qualifying for next season's Champions League.
If they do make it back into Europe's elite competition, the odds are that another manager will be at the helm.
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