Dirty Milan

Aaron Lennon - flying winger

Milan 0 Tottenham 1

Milan weren't the inferior team. Allegri was the inferior manager. His obvious lack of experience at the European level has sometimes reduced Milan to appear like a fish out of water in a competition which over the last few years has symbolically become Milan's to keep. Losing to Spurs isn't embarrassing, the manner of loss is.

Redknapp lined up a 4-4-1-1 on the night, many expected a 4-5-1 in which he would clog up the midfield preventing Milan any room to play their free flowing football. Nesta handled the ball on the very first minute which sent jitters through the Meazza, the referee however chose to overlook the incident. Antonini had the responsibility of keeping Lennon quiet. In Bale absence, Lennon's was the main threat going forward and Allegri opted for Antonini's intervention to keep the flying winger dormant; one among many of Allegri's tactical gaffes that night. Abbiati suffered an injury on the 18' with Amelia arriving as his replacement. The first half would have made any Milan fan squirm in disgust. The team operated from fear, sitting back, trying to soak in the pressure. The reluctance of the players to move forward when the opportunity presented itself was shocking to witness. And whenever they did, the attack was through the middle. Sandro and Palacios handed Silva his biggest test in midfield which convinced me that he is best suited in defense. Milan were sluggish in their build up giving Spurs sufficient time to arrange their defensive shape.

Allegri had started Seedorf, a choice no journalist/fan could understand. The veteran couldn't stamp his authority and Pato marched in as his replacement at the break. A marked difference was noticed in Milan's performance then on. Yepes became Milan's biggest goal threat which brings me to Ibrahimovic. I have constantly shaken off doubts over his big game presence but this season has led me to believe that he is a big game choker. A defense such as Tottenham's should be mince meat to a player of his caliber and talent. He simply refused to get into the game taking lethargy to a new level. Flamini's had a poor outing, his luck was at it's brightest that night. His rash challenges were conveniently ignored by the referee. Modric replaced Van Der Vaart on the 62' which reflects on Harry's intentions. He wanted to go for the kill and rightly so. Ibrahimovic's horrific night turned worse when he gave the ball away in the middle of the park which was optimally utilized by the opposition who scored on a classic counter. Lennon's raw pace exposed the shocking lack of the same in Milan's defense. Crouch's finish was cool and level headed. The timing of the goal would have knocked the stuffing out of Milan who couldn't conjure an attack for the remaining 10 minutes. A historic win for the Londoners.

Defeat aside, Gattuso and Flamini's behavior lacked class. Gattuso's bust up with Jordon and Flamini's aggressive tackles on Corluka should be heavily punished. Yes they are hard men but they should know the difference between professional challenges and personal assaults. This isn't the Milan we have come to know in Europe and Allegri must crack the whip to keep things in check. The return leg isn't going to be easy and will need Tassoti's experience to cover for Allegri's naivety. If Allegri goes all out attacking, he is sure to be brutalized by the lightening feet of the wide men. A more conservative, yet assertive approach is recommended.

Milan - /
Spurs - Crouch 80'