Andriy Shevchenko has revealed that he will be in London to cheer AC Milan on against Spurs tonight, and backed Rafael Leao to lead the team.
Milan will be looking to make it through to the quarter-finals of the Champions League for the first time in 11 years, taking on Tottenham with a 1-0 lead on after the first leg after Brahim Diaz’s goal in the opening ten minutes.
That was part of a four-game winning run without conceding but the streak came to an end on Saturday evening as Fiorentina won 2-1 at the Stadio Artemio Franchi in what was a very disappointing display that Milan needed to bounce back from.
Interviewed by La Gazzetta dello Sport, Shevchenko spoke about the match at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium tonight and how he expected the team to approach it, with our colleagues at SempreMilan.it relaying his comments.
“Today I’ll be at the stadium to cheer, we can repeat the first leg at San Siro and win again,” he said.
On Giroud: “Olivier is a very good person and an excellent professional, I was surprised to hear about him as a good striker but not a scorer. He has always scored wherever he has been, here in England he has done it with Arsenal and Chelsea. In the French national team he broke the record for goals scored. When I was at Milanello I found him still very much alive, full of energy and enthusiasm.”
On Ibrahimovic: “What has been said for Giroud is even more true for Zlatan. Ibrahimovic is even bigger for the reasons that animate him. Today, now he is recovered, I say that he would have been useful for his experience and his leadership. But when the decision was made not to include him in the list, there were no certainties about his physical condition.”
On Leao: “I expect him to lead the team, he has all the qualities to be decisive at the highest level. It’s time for him to make a difference in the Champions League as well: he has a lot to give and can grow even more. For example, being more present in all phases of the match, more incisive with his plays, more leader in everything.”
On De Ketelaere: “I’m also rooting for De Ketelaere: a great game will unlock him.”
On Kane: “He’s a player who can put you in trouble at any second. He’s a champion who plays for the team, a true leader, he shouldn’t be left with an inch of space. Thiaw and the defence, and with them the whole team, will have to be capable of a very attentive match, without the slightest mistake. Evenings like this can take you to the next level.”
Yea doubt we’ll win. But it was a good run