Tottenham Hotspur’s Champions League campaign ended in bitterly disappointing fashion as they failed to overturn a first-leg deficit in the last 16 against AC Milan.
Spurs paid the price for another passive start that allowed Milan to settle into their task – the misery complete when defender Cristian Romero was sent off late on after receiving a second yellow card for a wild late challenge on Theo Hernandez.
Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg tested AC Milan keeper Mike Maignan with a powerful second-half shot and Harry Kane headed wide, but Spurs failed to mount any sustained pressure on the Italian defence.
A late Kane header was brilliantly kept out by Maignan before Divock Origi struck the post for the visitors as Spurs went out tamely, their season now resting on the battle for a top-four place in the Premier League.
Spurs simply not good enough
Spurs fans reacted angrily as their Champions League campaign came to a conclusion and their discontent was understandable after such a dismal performance.
The lack of urgency that has marked so much of their season has never been more stark than in the first 45 minutes when Spurs played as if they were barely aware they needed to score to keep their ambitions alive.
Manager Antonio Conte returned to the technical area after recuperating from gallbladder surgery but this did not spare him the wrath of the Spurs support mystified by such a conservative approach.
Kane almost rescued Spurs and sent the game into extra time with that late header, but for most of the night he was starved of meaningful service in a side largely devoid of creativity.
What this means for Conte’s long-term future remains to be seen, with growing uncertainty surrounding his position and his contract up at the end of the season.
Spurs now have only that top-four place to fight for, and on this form you would not back them to achieve it. They have scrambled through much of this season despite indifferent form but there was to be no reprieve here – and they did not deserve one.
More follows.
How to play
Rate players out of 10 throughout or after the game. The rater will close 30 minutes after the final whistle.
Rating range key = Give it up = Pure perfection
Tottenham Hotspur
Starting XI
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Squad number20Player nameForsterAverage rating
5.20
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Squad number17Player nameRomeroAverage rating
3.95
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Squad number34Player nameLengletAverage rating
4.07
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Squad number33Player nameDaviesAverage rating
4.27
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Squad number12Player nameEmerson RoyalAverage rating
4.46
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Squad number4Player nameSkippAverage rating
4.67
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Squad number5Player nameHøjbjergAverage rating
4.55
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Squad number14Player namePerisicAverage rating
3.86
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Squad number21Player nameKulusevskiAverage rating
4.39
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Squad number7Player nameSon Heung-minAverage rating
4.41
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Squad number10Player nameKaneAverage rating
4.71
Substitutes
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Squad number6Player nameD SánchezAverage rating
3.25
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Squad number9Player nameRicharlisonAverage rating
3.00
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Squad number23Player namePorroAverage rating
4.32
AC Milan
Starting XI
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Squad number16Player nameMaignan
Average rating6.81
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Squad number20Player nameKalulu
Average rating6.71
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Squad number28Player nameThiaw
Average rating6.76
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Squad number23Player nameTomori
Average rating7.23
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Squad number30Player nameJunior Messias
Average rating6.67
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Squad number33Player nameKrunic
Average rating6.62
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Squad number8Player nameTonali
Average rating6.90
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Squad number19Player nameHernández
Average rating7.28
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Squad number10Player nameDíaz
Average rating7.23
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Squad number17Player nameRafael Leão
Average rating7.27
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Squad number9Player nameGiroud
Average rating7.34
Substitutes
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Squad number4Player nameBennacer
Average rating7.54
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Squad number12Player nameRebic
Average rating6.80
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Squad number27Player nameOrigi
Average rating7.35
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Squad number56Player nameSaelemaekers
Average rating6.98
Line-ups
Tottenham
Formation 3-4-2-1
- 20Forster
- 17RomeroBooked at 78mins
- 34LengletBooked at 21mins
- 33Davies
- 12Emerson RoyalSubstituted forRicharlisonat 70′minutes
- 4SkippBooked at 90mins
- 5Højbjerg
- 14PerisicSubstituted forPorroat 53′minutes
- 21KulusevskiSubstituted forD Sánchezat 83′minutes
- 7Son Heung-min
- 10Kane
Substitutes
- 6D Sánchez
- 9Richarlison
- 16Danjuma
- 23Porro
- 25Tanganga
- 27Lucas Moura
- 29Sarr
- 40Austin
- 41Whiteman
- 45Devine
AC Milan
Formation 3-4-2-1
- 16Maignan
- 20Kalulu
- 28ThiawBooked at 90mins
- 23Tomori
- 30MessiasSubstituted forSaelemaekersat 56′minutes
- 33Krunic
- 8Tonali
- 19Hernández
- 10DíazSubstituted forBennacerat 81′minutes
- 17Rafael LeãoSubstituted forRebicat 89′minutes
- 9GiroudSubstituted forOrigiat 81′minutes
Substitutes
- 2Calabria
- 4Bennacer
- 5Ballo-Touré
- 12Rebic
- 24Kjaer
- 25Florenzi
- 27Origi
- 32Pobega
- 46Gabbia
- 56Saelemaekers
- 83Mirante
- 90De Ketelaere
- Referee:
- Clément Turpin
Match Stats
Live Text
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Match ends, Tottenham Hotspur 0, AC Milan 0.
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Second Half ends, Tottenham Hotspur 0, AC Milan 0.
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Oliver Skipp (Tottenham Hotspur) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
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Foul by Oliver Skipp (Tottenham Hotspur).
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Sandro Tonali (AC Milan) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
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Richarlison (Tottenham Hotspur) wins a free kick on the right wing.
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Foul by Malick Thiaw (AC Milan).
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Divock Origi (AC Milan) hits the right post with a left footed shot from the centre of the box. Assisted by Theo Hernández following a fast break.
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Attempt saved. Harry Kane (Tottenham Hotspur) header from the centre of the box is saved in the bottom left corner. Assisted by Son Heung-Min.
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Malick Thiaw (AC Milan) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
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Pierre-Emile Højbjerg (Tottenham Hotspur) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
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Foul by Malick Thiaw (AC Milan).
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Foul by Pedro Porro (Tottenham Hotspur).
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Ante Rebic (AC Milan) wins a free kick on the left wing.
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Attempt blocked. Divock Origi (AC Milan) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Alexis Saelemaekers.
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Substitution, AC Milan. Ante Rebic replaces Rafael Leão.
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Foul by Ben Davies (Tottenham Hotspur).
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Rafael Leão (AC Milan) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
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Attempt saved. Ismaël Bennacer (AC Milan) left footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom right corner. Assisted by Pierre Kalulu.
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Attempt blocked. Sandro Tonali (AC Milan) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Rafael Leão.