AC Milan vs Tottenham Hotspur Preview: Allegri wary of Spurs threat
Posted Tuesday, February 15, 2011 by PA
AC Milan coach Massimiliano Allegri will not be taking Tottenham lightly in Tuesday's Champions League last-16 tie at the San Siro despite the absence of Wales winger Gareth Bale.
The Rossoneri may be three points clear at the top of Serie A, but they are beset by injury problems and are also facing a Spurs team that beat their rivals Inter 3-1 at White Hart Lane last year.
Bale was the inspiration behind the Londoners' victory that November night, running rings around Inter right-back Maicon just a month after blasting three goals past the holders in Tottenham's 4-3 loss at the San Siro.
The visitors will be without the 21-year-old for Tuesday's first leg due to a back injury but Allegri reckons Tottenham have plenty of other credible attacking options.
He said: "Aaron Lennon is a very quick and intelligent player, Peter Crouch is a good player too so we will need to be careful.
"They have four solid defenders also. They are a very fit and strong, physical side."
Bale's hat-trick against Inter drew the world's attention to the youngster, who is now said to be a summer target for both Milan teams as well as Barcelona and Real Madrid.
Allegri admits he would love to have the winger in his squad.
"I don't think we can compare him to [Lionel] Messi or [Cristiano] Ronaldo yet but this year he did the right things," the 43-year-old said.
"He is a player that any manager would like to have in his side."
Allegri will be without Gianluca Zambrotta, Massimo Ambrosini, Andrea Pirlo and Filippo Inzaghi, while Spurs boss Harry Redknapp has doubts over Luka Modric (appendix) and Crouch (back) but Rafael van der Vaart should play.
Spurs flew to Milan occupying that all-important fourth place in the Barclays Premier League having picked up their third straight win at Sunderland on Saturday.
Redknapp is convinced Tottenham stand on the brink of a glorious new era.
The 63-year-old took the reins at White Hart Lane in 2008 when the club was deeply entrenched in a Barclays Premier League relegation scrap.
But, two and a half years later, Redknapp has turned Spurs into one of the most feared teams in the top flight and they are now rubbing shoulders with Europe's biggest clubs after finishing fourth last season.
When asked if Spurs stood on the brink of a new successful era, Redknapp said: "The opportunity is there, for sure.
"If we keep on bringing the top players we can achieve whatever we want.
"The owners are more important than I am as the manager and I think that they want to compete.
"The transfer window came and we were willing to go and buy a top player but we just couldn't find a player that we wanted.
"It was difficult but if the right people came along then I think the club would sit down and do it.
"If Tottenham did that then the sky is the limit for us for the next few years."
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