Andy's Wednesday tips - Back Tottenham
Don't underestimate just what an achievement it was for Tottenham to go and win at the San Siro a couple of weeks ago. It's true that this Milan side isn't quite up there with those wonderful sides of the early 90s or even the one which twice won the competition in the mid 00s but we are talking about a team that is almost as permanent a fixture in the Champions League as they are in Serie A!
Let's not forget that Spurs are making their debut in the tournament this year and whilst no-one doubts the talent in their squad, it's another thing to actually handle the pressure of the big games and deliver when it most matters.
It's an obvious thing to say, but if Milan were to score the opening goal of the match, Spurs would feel like it was them who were on the back foot all of a sudden. From a neutral's point of view, that may actually be the best thing that could happen if you're after a cracking game of football. It would force Spurs to go after a goal of their own because a second for Milan would surely bring panic to the Tottenham ranks.
Gennaro Gattuso made the headlines for all the wrong reasons in the first leg but I don't think his suspension will hurt the team too much. He's one of those players who relies heavily on his stamina and energy to break up play and make a nuisance of himself. Now that he's the wrong side of 30, he simply doesn't cover as much ground as he used to whilst not really contributing much offensively.
The same can't be said of Alexandre Pato, who seems to be in decent form, and Michael Dawson and William Gallas will have to keep a close eye on him. He's just one of those players who seems like he hasn't actually done much for most of the game but when you check the scoresheet at the end of the match you find out he's scored a couple of goals!
The two aforementioned centre backs will be key for Spurs on the night but I'm also expecting a big game from Peter Crouch. There's no-one quite like him in Serie A and it was obvious in the first leg that Milan didn't like playing against him.
Spurs are likely to have a tougher night than the Rossoneri's performance in the first leg suggested, but I think they'll actually win the second leg as well and prove that magical night in northern Italy was no fluke.
Recommended Bets:
Back Tottenham to win at [2.3]
Back Tottenham to win 2-1 at [10.0]
Back over 2.5 goals at [2.02]
Andy Gray is now on Twitter so follow him for his exclusive tips and his take on the biggest stories in football each week.
Published: 9 Mar 2011
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