Champions League action continues on Wednesday with two blockbuster fixtures on the schedule. Bayern Munich enjoys a 1-0 aggregate lead over PSG ahead of the second leg in Germany, and many pundits expect the locals to go through. There is increasing optimism amongst the German media regarding their team’s chances of going all the way and regaining the trophy. On this site, you can find an in-depth preview and predictions on that match in Munich.
This page focuses on the game in London where Tottenham Hotspur welcomes AC Milan. This England v Italy game hangs in the balance after the first round, meaning there’s plenty to play for on Wednesday evening. The home team must fight back from a goal down while their opponents are in town to protect their slender lead from the previous meeting. Spurs must go on the attack from the opening whistle, meaning this will be an exciting 90 minutes with extra time and penalties available if required.
The stats associated with this match show Tottenham and AC Milan have met five times in the past, with the head-to-head stats showing Spurs have two wins against a pair of draws and a single victory for Milan. That will encourage supporters of the EPL side ahead of this game, but it’s worth remembering Milan’s one win was achieved in the first leg. Can the Italians double over their opponents and level the H2H scores, or do Spurs have the firepower to get back into the game?
Let’s take a closer look at the game with our preview focusing on the stats, trends, and forms of Spurs and Milan. We even offer predictions on how our team of football writers expects this game to play out on the night.
Spurs remain in the running
Tottenham may have lost in Italy last time, but they remain in the running. With no away goal rule in force again in this season’s Champions League, Spurs were hoping the tie remained alive for the return leg to North London, and the team achieved just that. They limited their opponents to just a few shots on goal and had their chances to get off the mark in the tie. In the end, AC Milan deserved their win and aggregate late, but it wasn’t convincing enough to derail their opponents, and Spurs knew a home win could send them through.
The locals enter this clash on the back of a decent run of form in the English Premier League, with four wins in their last six games lifting the Londoners back into the top four. It’s unlikely they will catch their derby rivals Arsenal and win the league this term, but a top-four finish and spot in next season’s Champions League is a decent consolation. They have 45 points on the board after 26 games which is 18 points fewer than leaders Arsenal and just three points better than Liverpool in fifth, with the Reds enjoying a game in hand.
Confidence is creeping back into this Spurs side after a challenging end to last year, and they appear to be approaching their best form. Despite scoring back-to-back league wins over London rivals West Ham and Chelsea – beating both neighbours by a 2-0 scoreline – Tottenham did lose at the weekend when going down 1-0 at Molineux against a Wolves side they were expected to beat with a bit to spare. Everyone connected to the club knows they face a much tougher test on Wednesday and must raise their game.
Milan take a lead to London
When AC Milan was pulled from the hat to play Tottenham Hotspur, they realised the importance of making home advantage count. The Serie A giants knew their best chance of going to the quarter-finals would come from winning at home and giving themselves a solid foundation to build in London. They achieved the win thanks to that 1-0 in the first leg, but the margin wasn’t as comfortable as fans had hoped. A team as good as Spurs was never going to roll over and play dead, so it is no surprise to see this tie decided over both legs. There’s still all to play for on Wednesday.
The winning goal in Italy was scored by Brahim Diaz who found the net inside the opening seven minutes of the contest. Following such a wonderful start, Milan fans were confident their team would score more and put the game to bed. It was the opening ten minutes that supporters had been dreaming of, but the following 80 failed to live up to expectations, not producing another goal. Milan had chances to double their advantage, but Spurs also created some good opportunities going forward. Both teams defended well, meaning a low-scoring draw was a fair result.
AC Milan’s recent record in the Italian top flight is similar to how Tottenham have been performing in England. They won three games in a row to shove themselves back into contention but Napoli are miles clear of the chasing pack and have been for months. With a shot at the championship now not an option, Milan will aim to finish in the top-four. But they were beaten 2-1 away to Fiorentina on Saturday.
Tottenham v AC Milan prediction
Many respected pundits believe, after watching the first leg, that Spurs are the favourites to win at home and qualify for the next round. But they still have plenty of work to do and know they must score simply to remain in the contest. If they get the first goal, Tottenham will believe they can finish things inside 90 minutes, but if Milan was to score first it would take a huge effort from the Londoners to overturn a two-goal deficit against an Italian opponent that’s famed for being defensively sound.
Champions League odds
Tottenham are available to bet at odds of 1.925 with 22bet while AC Milan trade at 3.92 and the draw is yours at 3.56.
Make sure to bet on Tottenham v AC Milan with 22Bet!
