Against the seven-time European champions they were the center of attention at one of football’s most famous venues, but a young Tottenham midfield duo showed hope for Antonio Conte’s side amid the gloom of defeat at Milan. Is.
Injuries to Yves Bissouma and Rodrigo Bentancur, as well as the suspension of Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, meant that Oliver Skipp and Pape Matar Sarr were given their first Champions League starts at the San Siro for Spurs.
And while the Premier League side suffered a 1-0 defeat against reigning Serie A champions AC Milan, the skipper and Sarr justified their praise for their manager and assured Spurs that they will be back on March 8. This deficit can be overcome in stages.
“I’m really pleased for both players because Pep Sar and Skippy played a really good game and showed the trust we had in them, they paid off,” Conte said.
“Don’t forget that we are now with three midfielders and will probably continue until the end of the season with three midfielders, but this kind of performance makes me more relaxed because I know I can count on them 100 percent. I am.”
Scape and sardine ‘stand tall’.
Sarr, 20, illustrated the maturity of his display by playing more touches (76) and more passes (59) than any other player on the pitch, including Milan’s Italian international midfielder Sandro Tonali.
Senegal international Sarr also defended strongly, while the skipper, who helped Norwich win the Championship two seasons ago, was not far behind and looked at ease in front of 74,320 fans in a high-pressure atmosphere. .
“Me and Pep did our jobs in midfield, there were things we did well and things we could have done better,” said the 22-year-old.
“It’s nice to have the manager’s trust and hopefully we’ve returned it.”
Sarr, who joined Spurs from Metz for £14.5m in the summer of 2021 and was immediately allowed to return to the French side on loan, made his sixth appearance for the club. Highlighted relative inexperience.
Former Scotland winger Pat Niven said, “Skip was very neat, he did all the sensible things, didn’t try to overdo it – but Saar really grabbed the attention, he was every There was space.”
“His energy was tremendous, his absolute confidence and arrogance on the ball – he was playing some 40, 50-yard balls across the pitch at the World Cup and they were coming.
“It’s not normal, it’s a young player who is fourth or fifth choice [who stands out]. He was given an unexpected opportunity and he was probably Spurs’ best player on the night – the manager will be delighted. “
