Simon Kjaer says AC Milan knew “exactly” how Tottenham were going to play in Tuesday night’s Champions League clash.
Brahim Diaz’s early goal proved the difference as the Serie A champions take a slender lead to Spurs ahead of next month’s return fixture.
While the result is by no means a disaster for Antonio Conte and his team, Milan managed to restrict their visitors to few chances and could well have put the game out of sight themselves but for some better finishing.
Given the struggles Conte’s side have had in keeping clean sheets this season, the Italian giants will feel more than confident of claiming a crucial away goal when they visit the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Wednesday 8 March.
Kjaer believes stopping Harry Kane – who was limited to only one shot all evening – was crucial to claiming a vital home win.
Speaking to Sky Sport Italia and MediaSet, the Dane said: “Kane was the first problem to face on every Tottenham move. It was important to block him off and then press the others.
“We were ready for a lot of their moves and did what we prepared in training. We knew exactly what they were going to do.”