Simon Kjaer is relishing being back in the knockout stages of the Champions League, as Milan aim to secure a semi-final spot.

Milan hold a 1-0 lead from the first leg, having last reached the Champions League semi-finals in the 2006-07 campaign.

They have only been eliminated twice after winning the first leg of a knockout tie, though have kept a clean sheet in their last five Champions League matches, the best run by a side since Manchester City in the 2020-21 season.

The Rossoneri have beaten Napoli twice in April, though overcoming the Serie A leaders at home will be no easy task.

For Kjaer, he is revelling in having another shot at playing in the latter stages of UEFA's flagship club competition.

"We are very happy to be here, we deserved this chance and last time we were in this stadium, it went well, so we hope to repeat it," Kjaer said in a press conference.

"You never know when this opportunity will come around again.

"These are evenings that stay with you for the rest of your life, whether good or bad. This is why we play football.

"The other night at San Siro was one of the best experiences of my career with our fans. It will be different tomorrow, but it gives you a sensation that you cannot find anywhere else."

Napoli's star striker Victor Osimhen returned from an adductor injury on Saturday, though could not help Luciano Spalletti's team beat Verona.

Even if Osimhen is fit to start on Tuesday, Kjaer does not hold any fear.

"We will meet Osimhen, just as we do other strikers," he said. "It is never just the work for one defender, it is teamwork and respect."

Stefano Pioli echoed Kjaer's sentiment when it comes to Osimhen, who has netted 25 goals this season.

"He is such a powerful, impressive and decisive striker, so we take his characteristics into account, but at the same time we have our own way of playing football and we won’t move away from that," said Pioli.

"We saw with previous Napoli games that a lot of it is about knowing the moment to slow down and speed up, and that is even more crucial with a player like Osimhen."

Stefano Pioli was left wishing Milan capitalised further against 10-man Napoli but insisted no first-leg result would ensure progression to the Champions League semi-final.

Ismael Bennacer's first goal in UEFA's top club competition proved the difference on Wednesday at San Siro as Milan secured a 1-0 lead to defend in Naples in eight days' time.

The Rossoneri perhaps could have compounded Napoli's misery, though, as Milan played the last 15 minutes with a one-man advantage following Frank Anguissa's dismissal for two quickfire bookable offences.

Milan have progressed from seven of their previous nine two-legged ties in the Champions League knockout stages after winning the first clash, though Pioli suggested Napoli could overturn any given deficit.

The Milan coach told Amazon Prime Video: "Napoli got off to a better start than us, we started badly at the beginning, they were more aggressive.

"Then we had a good game, we regret not taking advantage of the numerical superiority in the final [stages].

"It's a result that gives us a chance to go through. No result would have guaranteed qualification.

"Now we will go to Naples with confidence and concentration, we know the difficulties we will encounter."

Milan will head to the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium for Tuesday's quarter-final second leg buoyed with confidence from an impressive record against Napoli this season.

Pioli's side have inflicted two of Napoli's five defeats this term, with Milan the only team to beat the Serie A leaders more than once in the 2022-23 campaign.

The Rossoneri are also the only side to stop Napoli scoring in two separate games this term, keeping Luciano Spalletti's men at bay in Europe and a 4-0 thrashing of the Partenopei in Naples just 10 days ago.

Spalletti will hope for key striker Victor Osimhen to return from injury in time for the return leg, where Bennacer vowed Milan will "work even harder".

"We played well, we tried to do what the coach asked us and it worked," the Algeria international told Amazon Prime Video. 

"There's still one game left, we'll play [Bologna] in-between, we have to recover as best we can.

"Today we had a good attitude. We suffered, then we settled well, we were good man-for-man."

Milan coach Stefano Pioli is embracing his team's history of fulfilling their dreams as they prepare to face Napoli in the Champions League quarter-finals as underdogs.

With Napoli running away with the Serie A title, sitting 16 points clear already, Milan are generally considered outsiders for their upcoming Champions League duel.

But Milan beat Napoli 4-0 at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona as recently as April 2 in a major shock, and the Partenopei will once again be without talismanic striker Victor Osimhen.

Milan not being favourites is no issue for Pioli, however, as he pointed to their Scudetto success last season as being somewhat out of the ordinary.

Asked what he was expecting from Wednesday's contest at San Siro, Pioli told reporters: "I think we'll see balance.

"It's the first of two matches. It's impossible to repeat matches from in the league – we know we have to play a great game.

"We have to play a great game because the opponents require a great level of play. Napoli are the team with the best attack in the Champions League and who have won the most games after Bayern. They are a very strong team, they have great quality.

"We also need to be attentive. Napoli have great quality and know how to take advantage of every mistake.

"Serie A is another story. I think we have every chance to play and do well in the two games. With the power of our dreams we won the Scudetto last year, so dreaming is good for us."

 

The absence of Osimhen is a particularly significant boost for Milan, given Napoli had expected him to be fit again for the first leg after sustaining an abductor injury on international duty.

Osimhen has been a huge factor in Napoli's remarkable charge at the top of the Serie A table, with Luciano Spalletti's men closing in on a first Scudetto since 1990.

Osimhen has scored 25 times across all competitions, with none of those goals coming from the penalty spot – among players from the top five leagues, only Erling Haaland (38), Kylian Mbappe (28), Marcus Rashford (27) and Robert Lewandowski (26) have netted more non-penalty goals than the Nigerian.

Nevertheless, the defeat to Milan earlier this month was the only match Napoli have failed to win out of nine without Osimhen this term, and this was not lost on Pioli.

"We're talking about a great centre-forward, he's scored repeatedly both in the league and in the Champions League [but], up until the match against us, Napoli had always won without Osimhen," Pioli told Sky Sport Italia.

"We're talking about a great team that has all the qualities to be fearsome."

He added: "The preparation has always been the same. With Osimhen, Napoli are stronger in depth, without him a little less. We keep everything in consideration, but we go ahead with our own concepts."

Stefano Pioli was left frustrated by Milan's 0-0 draw with Empoli, believing it showed a return to normality after their 4-0 win at Serie A leaders Napoli previously.

The Rossoneri were held to a stalemate by the visitors to San Siro on Friday, missing the chance to consolidate their top-four spot after Inter had also drawn at Salernitana.

Having stunned the runaway title favourites Napoli 4-0 on their own patch last Sunday, Milan could not find the net this time despite having 23 shots, though only four were on target.

Pioli felt his side did all they could, but also suggested their performance reflected an anticipated comedown of sorts.

"It's not the result we wanted," he told Sky Sport Italia. "We had to do better in the first half. We played with great intensity.

"We conceded little to them, and in the second half, we did everything [we had to]. The ball just didn't want to go in.

"Goals are expected from the forwards if we create the chances. We needed to fill the area better. We lacked something to win.

"It's been a long time since we played with this level of energy and intensity, and I'm sorry. We wanted to win again after Napoli.

"But in my opinion, we're returning to the level [where we should be]. We need to improve our game, and we are doing that."

Milan face Napoli again next week, this time with the pair meeting for the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final at San Siro.

Stefano Pioli says Milan are fully focused on their Serie A clash with Empoli, and not distracted by their upcoming Champions League quarter-final against Napoli.

The Rossoneri host the runaway league leaders in the first leg on Wednesday, but face Empoli at San Siro on Friday prior to that huge encounter.

Milan sit third in Serie A after their impressive 4-0 win at Napoli on Sunday, though with Inter, Roma and Atalanta all within three points of them in a tight race for the top four.

Pioli stressed the need for humility against 14th placed Empoli as their league campaign remains important despite the upcoming glamour of the Champions League last eight.

"It is crucial to stay in tension," he said at a press conference. "Matches are won first with attitudes and determination, and then with quality.

"We must be humble; the league is important to us and we must take advantage of this home game."

He added: "We have to stay on track. We produced an important victory in Naples, but we have to use it to play at that level there all the time. We just have to think about tomorrow."

When later asked how he can ignore the upcoming Champions League clash, Pioli said: "Because the objective in the league is very important and because otherwise the victory in Naples would be useless."

The Milan head coach was also asked about the club's former owner Silvio Berlusconi, who is in intensive care after being diagnosed with leukaemia.  

"We're all worried, but we don't have such precise news clearly," he said. "We hug him and hope he can recover and return to the stadium."

Inter striker Romelu Lukaku was allegedly targeted by racist chants from Juventus fans following his equaliser in their 1-1 Coppa Italia draw in midweek.

When asked if Italian football has a racism problem, Pioli said: "I don't know. I have many friends who go to the stadium with respect, but I'm very sorry because football and sport must be lived with a different spirit."

Stefano Pioli hailed Rafael Leao after he returned to form with a brace in Milan's remarkable 4-0 rout of Napoli, declaring the forward had not gone anywhere during his recent goal drought.

Having gone 11 games without a goal for Milan, Leao tore Napoli apart as the defending champions claimed a memorable win over the Serie A leaders at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona.

After lobbing Alex Meret for the opener, Leao scored his second of the game – and his 10th of the Serie A season – with a powerful left-footed finish to cap a lightning break from Pioli's men.

Leao – Serie A's Player of the Season last campaign – attracted criticism during his recent lean spell, but Pioli always had faith he would rediscover his best form.

Asked whether Leao was 'back' after his double, Pioli told DAZN: "He never left!

"He scored two goals, one from a central forward position and one from out wide. He has incredible potential and will become a champion."

As well as providing a huge boost to Milan's hopes of a top-four finish, the result served as a warning to Napoli ahead of this month's Champions League quarter-final tie against the Rossoneri.

Pioli, however, does not believe Milan's win will have any impact on those contests, adding: "Certainly today's victory gives us confidence, but they will be different matches. 

"Just because we won 4-0 today, it doesn't mean that Napoli have lost their certainties. We'll think about Napoli and face those two matches – I hope – with the personality of this evening.

"It will be a balanced match between two strong teams who are doing well in the Champions League. This season will be positive if we play in the Champions League again next year.

"There are still 10 days to go. It will be 180 minutes, but now we head to Empoli [on Friday] – in the league we haven't always faced matches with the right attitude."

Since Pioli joined Milan in 2019, the Rossoneri have posted five wins against teams starting that matchday top of the Serie A table – at least two more than any other team in the competition.

Rafael Leao scored two brilliant goals as Milan stunned Serie A leaders Napoli with a crushing 4-0 victory at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona on Sunday.

Leao netted either side of a close-range strike from Brahim Diaz, opening the scoring with a lobbed one-on-one finish before doubling up with a powerful effort on the break.

With Serie A's leading marksman Victor Osimhen out injured, Napoli applied plenty of pressure but lacked cutting edge, and Alexis Saelemaekers added some gloss with a fine solo goal for the Scudetto holders.

The result saw Milan take advantage of Inter's loss to Fiorentina by going third in the table, and Stefano Pioli will hope it represents a sign of things to come ahead of the teams' upcoming Champions League quarter-final tie.

Giovanni Simeone – starting in place of Osimhen – missed the first clear chance when he fired over from 12 yards out, but it was Milan who struck first after 17 minutes.

Leao raced onto Diaz's throughball before dinking an impudent finish over Alex Meret, silencing the home crowd and ending his 11-game goal drought at club level. 

Things got even better for the Rossoneri eight minutes later, with Diaz sitting Mario Rui down after controlling Ismael Bennacer's left-wing cross before finishing high into the roof of the net.

Mike Maignan made strong saves to thwart Piotr Zielinski and Rui as Napoli looked to hit back, while Olivier Giroud went close to finding the bottom-right corner after the interval.

Despite Napoli dominating possession, Milan went further ahead when Leao capped a lightning break by tricking his way past Amir Rrahmani and lashing into the top-right corner.

With Napoli all at sea defensively, Saelemaekers added a memorable strike of his own, dancing through several Partenopei challenges before prodding beyond Meret after 67 minutes.

Stefano Pioli insisted "nobody is perfect or unbeatable" as Milan prepare to overthrow Napoli in the all-Italian Champions League quarter-final clash.

Milan and Napoli will meet for the first time in European competition on April 12 in the first leg at San Siro, with Luciano Spalletti's side flying high in Serie A and UEFA's top club competition.

The Partenopei are 19 points clear at the Italian top-flight summit and suggested by many as a potential challenger for the European crown.

But Milan have only lost one of their nine all-Italian showdowns in Europe (W4 D4) and Pioli sees no reason why the Rossoneri cannot dream of progressing past Spalletti's in-form side.

The Milan coach said: "Honestly, I'd rather not meet an Italian side. In the Champions League it's better to face a foreign club. Napoli are very strong but we want to play for it.

"They have shown great consistency, strength and quality, they have all the characteristics of a great team, but nobody is perfect or unbeatable."

Pioli's side have not reached the last eight in the Champions League since the 2011-12 term when they were eliminated by Pep Guardiola's Barcelona.

Milan last went beyond that stage in the 2006-07 season en route to lifting the trophy but overcoming Napoli will prove an incredibly difficult challenge.

Napoli have won each of their past three away matches against the Rossoneri, their best such run against them, although they have not triumphed in any of their past five trips to Milan in cup competitions.

Pioli wants to build on Milan's Champions League history but says the Rossoneri cannot take their eyes off the Serie A top-four battle, leading fifth-placed Roma by just a point.

"It's part of the history of this club and the path it has always followed," he added. "We are beginning to write our history, that of Milan in the Champions League is a different path from ours.

"When you go to San Siro to play the Champions League it is something exciting and spectacular that involves everyone.

"We are very busy but we are also focusing on the league. To make this season a positive one, we have to play in the Champions League next year. We have to be careful."

Before the mouthwatering European meeting, Milan visit Napoli in Serie A on Sunday with the Rossoneri's Scudetto soon seemingly heading for Naples.

Pioli's side have been unable to replicate their exploits from last season's title-winning campaign, though the Italian suggested Milan's young side would always struggle to defend their title.

"I don't think there are many teams in Europe that immediately win the second league," he continued. "We won with a very young team, thanks to a project and a club path we are proud of.

"We are one of the few clubs with a sustainable project; only a few teams manage to win and be competitive in Europe.

"That is a leap that we have not yet been able to make but this year too gives us the opportunity to understand great things, to improve and be the strongest club."

Stefano Pioli says Milan will do what is necessary to rediscover their form, but admitted his team "started badly and ended worse" as they were beaten 3-1 at Udinese on Saturday.

The Rossoneri fell behind early to a Roberto Pereyra goal at Stadio Friuli, before a twice-taken Zlatan Ibrahimovic penalty pulled them level as the 41-year-old became Serie A's oldest ever goalscorer.

However, Beto restored Udinese's lead just two minutes later and Kingsley Ehizibue added a third in the second half to give the Friulani their first home win in the league since beating Inter in September.

It made it three league games without a win for Milan, and five defeats in their last nine to leave the defending champions 20 points behind league leaders Napoli having played a game more.

"We will do what is necessary to return to playing the football that suits us best and that we are capable of playing," Pioli said after the game. "... There were no signs of a drop in intensity, instead we started badly and ended up worse.

"This is the reality, we have to work. Of course, we can't win the Scudetto but we can win the mini-championship of those fighting for the Champions League, we will be able to analyse and return to play as we know how."

 

The 57-year-old lamented his team for not being "aggressive, intense, precise, attentive", saying that meant he had "worked badly, making a mistake preparation. We have fallen too far below our means."

Defeat leaves them just a place and a point ahead of fifth-placed Roma, who have a game in hand, but questions were asked whether this season's Champions League campaign has proved to be a distraction.

Milan reached the quarter-finals after beating Tottenham and were drawn to face Napoli in the last eight on Friday.

"It's not like that, it would be serious if we were already thinking about the Champions League," Pioli insisted. "Getting in the first four places is too important.

"The levels of the last performances are not good, if we are less technical and organised, we play games like this. I am disappointed with our work, we have achieved too little in the last three games.

"There is always concern, now we have to take advantage of the [international] break to raise the level of play, attention, determination."

Zlatan Ibrahimovic is in contention to start for Milan against Udinese on Saturday as the 41-year-old looks to lift Stefano Pioli's' struggling champions.

The striker, recalled by Sweden this week, has recovered from major knee surgery and come through three substitute appearances.

Now the veteran is a prime contender to line up from the first whistle as Milan are forced to cope without the suspended Olivier Giroud in their last game before the international break.

Ibrahimovic is already the oldest player to feature for Milan in a Serie A game during the three-points-for-a-win era (since 1994-95), and Pioli would have no doubts about his readiness.

"Zlatan is calm; he wants to play and win every game," Pioli said on Friday. "He's feeling good, but I don't think he's got 90 minutes in him. He could start, as could Divock [Origi] and Ante [Rebic]."

Ibrahimovic has been involved in five goals in his last four games against Udinese in Serie A (3 goals, 2 assists) and is looking to start a game in Serie A for the first time since January 23, 2022, when he faced Juventus.

Winger Rafael Leao should keep his place despite what Pioli described as a "strange situation" on Monday, when the Portugal international put in a flat performance in the 1-1 draw with Salernitana, a result that followed defeat to Fiorentina in Milan's previous league game.

Coach Pioli is surprised by how little impact Leao is having at times, but he expects him to come good.

"Rafa is training really well. He's very motivated and determined, and he remains an important figure in our attack because, even if he's not scoring, he keeps opposition defences occupied," Pioli said.

"My advice to him would be to stay close to those who care deeply for him and want to help him grow. Goals and decisive pieces of play are expected from him, but, as previously mentioned, he's dangerous even when he doesn't score."

Ibrahimovic was left off Milan's Champions League squad list, so Pioli must plan without him for the quarter-final against runaway Serie A leaders Napoli.

That was the match-up that came out of Friday's draw, and it is not one that intimidates the Rossoneri, who have won Europe's premier club competition seven times.

Quoted on Milan's official website, Pioli said: "Napoli are enjoying a great league campaign, but the Champions League is the Champions League and AC Milan are AC Milan. It's exciting and fascinating and our opponents are very strong, but we're deservedly part of it and have plenty of motivation and ambition.

"We'll play with the aim of making it through. We'll have time to talk about the Champions League, which is certainly an objective of ours, but, right now, doing well in our next three league games is crucial."

Milan sit fourth in Serie A, a point ahead of Roma who have a derby against third-placed Lazio coming up on Sunday.

Dropping points to mid-table Udinese would be a jarring way to enter the international break for the San Siro giants.

"It's not the break itself that will be important but how we head into it," said Pioli, "meaning tomorrow's result will be vital."

Stefano Pioli lamented Rafael Leao's "strange" lack of form after the Milan forward endured another underwhelming outing in Monday's 1-1 Serie A draw with Salernitana.

The Rossoneri failed to capitalise on slip-ups from top-four rivals Inter, Roma and Lazio as Olivier Giroud's first-half header was cancelled out by Boulaye Dia after the break.

In a wasteful display which saw Milan record 24 shots but draw just two saves from Salernitana's Guillermo Ochoa, Leao attempted a game-high five shots – none of which found the target.

Having reportedly attracted interest from a host of European giants including Manchester City, Chelsea and Real Madrid after helping Milan win the Scudetto last season, Leao has struggled in recent weeks.

The Portugal forward has gone 10 games without scoring since finding the net at Lecce in January, leading Pioli to bemoan his inability to replicate his promising performances in training.

"Being close to my players is my priority, when things are going well or badly," Pioli said when asked whether Leao would benefit from more criticism.

"Leao's strange situation is this – in training he does very well, he moves a lot and does everything very well, then in the game he does less. He has to find a middle ground."

Milan's frustrating performance came five days after they secured a Champions League quarter-final spot with a 1-0 aggregate win over Tottenham, and Pioli refused to use fatigue as an excuse.

"No, there was no tiredness, but a lack of quality and players in the area," he said. "We weren't as fast as we could be, or as careful. 

"When I have the team review the goal that we conceded… it was too easy to score. We had to manage the game better. We tried, but we had to be brighter and more precise."

Milan were denied a penalty shortly after Salernitana's equaliser, with referee Federico La Penna reversing his decision to award a spot-kick for Domagoj Bradaric's challenge on Ismael Bennacer after being sent to the VAR monitor.

Asked about that incident, Pioli said: "I honestly didn't see it again after the match, so I can't judge it honestly. Otherwise, I would say what I think."

Milan missed the chance to gain ground on their rivals for a top-four Serie A finish as Boulaye Dia cancelled out Olivier Giroud's opener in a 1-1 draw with Salernitana at San Siro.

Slip-ups from Inter, Lazio and Roma gave Milan the chance to strike an important blow in the Champions League race on Monday, and they looked set to do so when Giroud headed the opener on the stroke of half-time.

However, Salernitana hit back through Dia just after the hour mark, before a VAR review denied Milan a penalty when Ismael Bennacer went down easily under Domagoj Bradaric's challenge.

The result means Milan remain fourth, just a point clear of fifth-placed Roma in a tense battle for Champions League qualification.

While Milan dominated possession from the off, Salernitana kept them quiet until the half-hour mark, when Giroud sent a trademark overhead kick narrowly over the crossbar.

Salernitana then squandered two chances on the break, with Grigoris Kastanos' effort deflecting wide after a loose pass from Mike Maignan, before the Milan goalkeeper made a fine last-ditch challenge to prevent Dia rounding him.

The visitors' resistance was broken just before half-time as Giroud met Bennacer's corner at the near post to glance a header into the bottom-left corner. 

Salernitana hit back after the restart as Bradaric led a Salernitana break down the left, with his driven cross turned beyond Maignan by a stretching Dia.

Milan threw on Zlatan Ibrahimovic in search of a winner and saw referee Federico La Penna reverse a decision to award them a spot-kick, while Guillermo Ochoa denied Divock Origi with a fine save late on.

Ochoa was involved again as Milan went agonisingly close to a winner late on, somehow clawing the ball away from the goal line following a scramble.

Stefano Pioli wants Rafael Leao to lead a Milan resurgence as he warned his team their Champions League run must not come at the expense of a top-four finish.

The Milan head coach said Zlatan Ibrahimovic is not yet ready to start games after making two substitute appearances since returning from major knee surgery.

They cannot therefore look to the inspirational Swedish veteran, but in 23-year-old Portuguese winger Leao they have a proven match-winner and last season's Serie A MVP.

Beaten by Fiorentina in the last round of games, Milan host Salernitana on Monday, and victory would vault them back into the top four.

The Rossoneri were on a high after booking a Champions League quarter-final spot on Wednesday, edging through at Tottenham's expense.

Now Pioli wants them to book another adventure in that competition with a strong finish to their domestic campaign.

"We are aware that we have to focus on the league with attention and determination," Pioli said. "To repeat the feelings we are experiencing in the Champions League, we need to finish in the top four in Serie A, and we are focused on achieving this.

"We need to find the consistency that we have lacked so far. The team is doing well physically, mentally and also tactically. We can still improve a lot and performances like the one in London help us to grow."

Milan drew 0-0 with Tottenham to win through 1-0 on aggregate, and they will learn their next Champions League opponents in Friday's draw.

"Tomorrow we have to be the best Milan possible because it's an important match," Pioli said. "As a team, we must and can improve in our choices.

"Ibra will not start against Salernitana. He is improving his fitness and will be ready to help us.

"Leao is giving us a lot, and he played well in the last few games. We have to serve him better. Rafa is the player with the most freedom of movement, and he has to look for spaces to harm the opponent's defence."

Leao had 11 goals and eight assists in Serie A last term, and he has eight goals and six assists this time around, with ample time to top his 2021-22 totals.

Pioli, quoted on Milan's website, said his Serie A champions of last season need to collectively find some of that Scudetto-winning spark again.

"Compared to last season, we are doing better in Europe, not so much in the league," he said. "The goal is to finish in the Champions League places, and every game will be crucial from now on, because there are fewer and fewer to go.

"Before the quarter-finals, we have four matches – difficult and important ones – to play in Serie A; we cannot look beyond that."

Stefano Pioli is dreaming of going all the way with Milan in this season's Champions League after overcoming Tottenham in the first knockout round.

Milan held Tottenham to a goalless draw in Wednesday's last-16 second leg in north London to secure a 1-0 aggregate victory and a place in next week's quarter-final draw.

Mike Maignan made a superb save late on to deny Harry Kane, but Milan finished the game with an expected goals (xG) return of 1.37 compared to 0.46 for Spurs.

It is the first time since the 2011-12 campaign that Milan have reached the final eight of the competition, and Pioli is excited for what is to come.

"We were good today. We asked the team to play with personality," he told Prime Video. "We never gave up and it's a well-deserved passage through the next round. 

"We have to take one step at a time. It was important to get through the group, then the round of 16, and now we'll wait for the [quarter-final] draw. 

"It's clear that we'll face a great team, but Tottenham were also a great team. Dreaming is nice; it helps you to work better.

"It's wonderful to play in the Champions League. So either we win it, which would not be easy, or try to qualify by finishing in the top four in Serie A."

Pioli, whose side are fifth in Serie A, added: "I like to think there's nothing impossible in sport. Clearly, only the best in Europe remain and each round gets more difficult.

"But I'm sure all the experiences in Europe – especially the negative ones – help us to step up a level. Now we must go into the quarter-final with confidence and belief."

Milan have kept four successive clean sheets in the Champions League for the first time since between April and October 2006.

Pioli's decision to revert to a three-man defence has paid off, with his side winning five games out of seven since then.

"I took this decision after the defeat against Sassuolo," Pioli said of the tactical switch. "It seems that the old system we used didn't work well. 

"The attitude has changed; the team works with more attention. We have three central defenders who are capable of playing in this system, so it was time to change."

Kane's late glancing header, which Maignan did well to get down and save, was the closest Tottenham went to scoring across both legs.

The hosts had Cristian Romero sent off for two bookable offences and Milan almost snatched a late winner on the day when Divock Origi broke clear but hit the post.

And former Arsenal striker Giroud, who played 81 minutes despite being a fitness doubt, believes Milan did enough to win the second leg.

"I told the lads we deserved to be in the Champions League last year and this season we want to go further," he said.

"We deserved to go through thanks to our determination. I think we could've won this second leg as well and it's a pity we didn't score as we had the clearest chances."

Stefano Pioli warned his Milan players they cannot just sit back and defend their 1-0 first-leg lead at Tottenham in the Champions League last 16 on Wednesday.

Pioli's men take a narrow advantage to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium for the second leg after Brahim Diaz's first goal since October put them ahead at San Siro.

Milan will return to the Champions League quarter-finals for the first time since the 2011-12 season if they avoid defeat, though Pioli cautioned his players not to sit back and just focus on defending on Wednesday.

"Tomorrow is the match of personalities," Pioli told reporters at his pre-match news conference. "Our opponents are formidable from an offensive point of view, they will play with great intensity.

"We must be prepared to control the game more. We have a very small advantage but we cannot think of managing it. We must attack and play with intensity."

Pioli is expecting a great atmosphere in north London, though is confident his team can focus on the task ahead of them, saying: "We expect a loud stadium, just like San Siro was.

"But the crowd doesn't score goals. We arrive with confidence, enthusiasm and determination."

Spurs have been boosted ahead of the game by the return of head coach Antonio Conte, who had been recovering in Italy after undergoing gallbladder surgery.

Pioli acknowledged the importance of Conte being on the sidelines for Spurs, and feels his team will have to match the Premier League side's intensity to secure their progression.

"Antonio Conte's presence on the bench will be an added value for Tottenham," Pioli added. "But beyond Conte, we will find a highly prepared and motivated opponent.

"Both teams want to go through this round. Tottenham will probably try to attack more than at San Siro. We have to watch out for particular moments."

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