AC Milan and Tottenham Hotspur will face each other in the first leg of the knockout round of the UEFA Champions League. The Italian side will host the game and will look to build on their narrow victory over Torino last Friday. The Rossoneri had endured a poor run of seven games without a win, including defeats against their city rivals Inter Milan in the Italian Super Cup and Serie A. They need a positive result in the Champions League as they have not progressed beyond the last-16 stage in their previous six appearances. AC Milan will rely on Olivier Giroud to lead the attack after his goal against Torino. Meanwhile, Tottenham Hotspur will look to recover from their heavy 4-1 defeat by Leicester City in the Premier League. Spurs will be without their first-choice goalkeeper, Hugo Lloris, who is out with a knee injury. They will also miss the services of Rodrigo Bentancur, who sustained a season-ending anterior cruciate ligament injury. Tottenham manager, Antonio Conte, will hope to replicate his positive record against AC Milan from his time as Inter Milan manager. He won eight out of his last nine matches against Milan. The game promises to be a tight affair, and it remains to be seen which team will come out on top.
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The match between AC Milan and Tottenham Hotspur in the UEFA Champions League round of 16 promises to be an exciting clash, with both teams aiming to progress to the quarter-finals of the competition.
AC Milan have had a difficult season so far, struggling to find their form in Serie A and falling short in the Coppa Italia. However, their recent victory over Torino will give them some confidence going into this fixture. They will be looking to their star players such as Olivier Giroud, Brahim Diaz, and Rafael Leao to lead them to victory.
On the other hand, Tottenham Hotspur have had an inconsistent season under new manager Antonio Conte. They have shown glimpses of their potential with wins over Manchester City and Newcastle United, but their heavy defeat to Leicester City on the weekend will have raised some concerns. The absence of their regular goalkeeper Hugo Lloris and midfielders Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Rodrigo Bentancur will be a big blow for the team.
Conte will be hoping that his players can replicate their recent performances in the Champions League, where they have only lost once in their last five matches. He will be relying on the likes of Harry Kane, Son Heung-min, and Dele Alli to deliver a strong performance and secure a positive result away from home.
In terms of team news, both sides have a few injury concerns to deal with. AC Milan's first-choice goalkeeper Mike Maignan is out with a calf injury, while Fikayo Tomori will return to the starting lineup after a spell on the sidelines. Tottenham will be without Hugo Lloris, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, and Rodrigo Bentancur, who are all injured. They will also be missing the suspended Cristian Romero.
The possible starting lineups for the two teams have already been revealed, with AC Milan expected to start with Tatarusanu in goal, a back three of Kalulu, Kjaer, and Tomori, and a midfield quartet of Calabria, Krunic, Tonali, and Hernandez. Up front, they are likely to field a front two of Diaz and Leao, with Giroud as the central striker.
Tottenham are expected to start with Forster in goal, a back three of Romero, Dier, and Davies, and a midfield pairing of Sarr and Skipp. They are likely to play with wing-backs in Reguilon and Tanganga, while up front they will have a front two of Kane and Son, with Alli playing in the attacking midfield role.
Overall, this promises to be a fascinating encounter between two teams who are looking to make a mark in the Champions League this season. The first leg of the tie will take place at the San Siro, and the team that can come away with a positive result will be in a strong position to progress to the next round.