Diaz gives Milan narrow first-leg advantage over Spurs

Tottenham Hotspur face a challenging road to progress in the Champions League after suffering a 1-0 defeat to AC Milan in the first leg of their last-16 tie.

The team put in a lackluster performance at San Siro and were unable to recover from an early goal by Brahim Diaz.

Milan could have scored more, with Ivan Perisic clearing off the line and Malick Thiaw missing a free header, but ultimately finished strongly.

Tottenham will need to improve significantly in the return leg in three weeks if they hope to overcome Milan’s lead.

The team has a history of comebacks in the Champions League, but this season’s inconsistent performance and key player injuries present a significant challenge.

Milan, who had been winless in seven games prior to their victory over Torino, are also struggling this season, but Spurs failed to pose a significant threat to their goal despite enjoying possession and territorial advantage.

Before the match, Milan fans displayed tifo signs saying “I’m not cheating on you” to express their love for the team on Valentine’s Day.

The hosts quickly gave their fans a reason to celebrate with an early goal by Diaz. Tottenham fans, on the other hand, were disappointed by their team’s pedestrian start to the match.

Tottenham began to gain momentum and had several opportunities to challenge Milan’s defense from set-pieces, but poor deliveries and good defending by Milan prevented them from scoring.

Their best chance came from a long-distance shot by Emerson Royal. In the second half, Tottenham continued to dominate possession but lacked the quality to score an equalizer, with more set-piece opportunities going to waste.

The match was not without incident, with Cristian Romero and Eric Dier both receiving yellow cards.

Spurs could not make any headway, and Milan finished the game looking for a second goal, with Perisic and Thiaw coming close to scoring.

Dier missed a free header from yet another corner, leaving Tottenham with a tough challenge to overturn the tie on home soil.