Milan – Tottenham

There will be no spectacular football. The teams will not score more than three goals

Milan will take on Tottenham in the first leg of the Champions League last eight on 14 February. The bookmakers are struggling to name a favourite. The clubs have played each other six times: Tottenham have been stronger in four games and the clubs have drawn twice more. Milan have never beaten the Londoners. After the winter break, it's as if the Italian team have been replaced. "The Rossoneri have won just two of their nine games and the goal difference is simply monstrous - 9-19. Their streak of four defeats and seven unbeaten matches was broken only on the final matchday of Serie A when AC Milan beat Torino. Olivier Giroud netted the only goal of the game. Stefano Pioli described the occasion as a "renaissance". Milan have five players on injured reserve: Alessandro Florenzi, Mike Menyon, Ficayo Tomori, Ismael Bennacer and Serginho Deste. They are being treated for injuries and will not be available for the next game. Milan played Chelsea, Salzburg and Dinamo Zagreb in the group stage of the Champions League. "The Rossoneri finished second with 10 points. They suffered two defeats, both by Chelsea (0-3, 0-2). Tottenham are also feverish. Since the break for the 2022 World Cup, Antonio Conte's side have won five out of ten meetings, lost four times and drawn once. Harry Kane and company are in fifth place in the English league and are fighting for second place. Spurs have some serious losses. Goalkeeper Hugo Llaurice picked up a knee injury on February 6 and will be treated until the second half of March. Ryan Sessenion is likely to miss the game through injury. Pierre-Emile Heybjerg is out due to a suspension. Also, Rodrigo Bentancourt is out for the rest of the season due to an injury. It can be assumed that with such a defensive game and the loss of their main goalkeepers, both teams should expect a productive match. But that probably won't be the case. Antonio Conte is a big fan of cautious tactics, especially in matches against serious opponents. This upcoming encounter could be a scenario where one does not really need a win and the other lacks the strength to do so. Conte's cautious style of play will prevent Milan from showing their strengths. The fans will not see spectacular football. We can bet that no more than three goals will be scored.