Spurs survive Milan barrage

Tottenham survived a barrage of pressure from Milan to reach the Champions League quarter-finals as the 0-0 draw in yesterday’s last 16 second leg at White Hart Lane secured a 1-0 aggregate victory.

Harry Redknapp’s side were under the cosh for long periods of a tense encounter, but Milan were unable to find a way past a Spurs defence superbly marshalled by William Gallas and Michael Dawson.

While Spurs were unable to recapture the flamboyant attacking play that dazzled earlier in the competition, their progress to the last eight more than made up for a slightly nervous display.

It was especially sweet because, while north London rivals Arsenal will spend the rest of the season watching the Champions League from their sofas after Tuesday’s exit against Barcelona, Spurs can still dream of a fairytale run to the final at Wembley.

Peter Crouch’s winner at the San Siro meant Redknapp’s team needed just a draw to extend their impressive first season in Europe’s elite club competition.

Redknapp resisted the temptation to stifle Milan as he sent out an attacking line-up, with Dutch playmaker Rafael van der Vaart back after a calf injury.

Van der Vaart almost gave Tottenham a dream start when he stabbed wide from the edge of the penalty area.

After his horrific foul on Vedran Corluka in the first leg, it was hardly surprising Milan’s former Arsenal midfielder Mathieu Flamini was subjected to constant boos on his return to north London.

Gennaro Gattuso’s first-leg touchline row with Spurs assistant Joe Jordan also ensured there was an extra intensity to an already frenzied sell-out crowd.

But the raucous atmosphere was never likely to ruffle such an experienced team as Milan and Massimiliano Allegri’s side began to exert sustained pressure after Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s free-kick forced Heurelho Gomes into a sprawling save.

The Italian league leaders went even closer when Gomes was unable to stop Alexandre Pato after needlessly rushing off his line.

Pato squared to Robinho and his scuffed shot looped goalwards off Benoit Assou-Ekotto, only for a superb goal-line clearance from Gallas to spare Gomes’s blushes.

Van der Vaart curled a free-kick just over the crossbar moments later, but it was Milan, looking far more dynamic than in the first leg, who continued to carry the greater threat.

Pato’s clever runs were causing problems for Spurs and the Brazil forward surged onto Ibrahimovic’s pass for a low shot that Gomes smothered.

After spending most of the first half on the back foot, Tottenham wasted an opportunity to take control immediately after the interval when Crouch completely mistimed his header from Aaron Lennon’s cross.

Having survived a sudden flurry of Spurs pressure, Milan went back on the attack and Robinho met Ignazio Abate’s pass with a snap-shot that forced a scrambled clearance after Gomes’s block.

Pato came desperately close to sending the tie into extra-time when his shot whistled past the near post in the closing minutes but Spurs, who beat Inter in the group stage, had done enough to claim another Italian scalp.

Remarkable Blues

In the other match of the night, Schalke 04 brushed off reports coach Felix Magath will be dismissed at the end of the season to beat Valencia 3-1 and book their place in the quarter-finals.

This is only the third time the Royal Blues have reached the Champions League’s last eight and is all the more remarkable given their lowly ranking of 10th in the current Bundesliga standings as they sealed a 4-2 win on aggregate, yesterday.

After drawing the first leg 1-1 in Valencia a fortnight ago, goals either side of half-time by winger Jefferson Farfan and striker Mario Gavranovic sealed the home win.

The hosts fought back after Valencia took an early lead through Ricardo Miguel. Farfan then sealed the issue with a late goal.

Round of 16 – second legs

Played yesterday

Tottenham 0
Milan 0

(Tottenham win 1-0 on aggregate)

Schalke 04 3
Farfan 40, 90; Gavranovic 52;
Valencia 1
Costa 17;

(Schalke win 4-2 on aggregate)

Tuesday, March 15
Man. United vs Marseille (first leg: 0-0)
Bayern Munich vs Inter (first leg: 1-0)

Wednesday, March 16
Chelsea vs FC Copenhagen (first leg: 2-0)
Real Madrid vs Olym. Lyon (first leg: 1-1)

Already played
S. Donetsk 3 - Roma 0 (S. Donetsk win 6-2 on aggregate)
Barcelona 3 - Arsenal 1 (Barcelona win 4-3 on aggregate)