• Champions League

Spurs deny Milan to reach last eight

William Gallas saved the ball off the line in the first half © Getty Images

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Wednesday night football gallery

William Gallas was the hero for Tottenham as they hung on for a 0-0 draw against AC Milan to reach the Champions League quarter-finals.

The goalless result at White Hart Lane sealed a 1-0 aggregate victory following Spurs' shock win at the San Siro in the first leg, but it could have been very different if Gallas had not cleared the ball off his own line after a goalkeeping error by Heurelho Gomes in the first half.

Tottenham rode their luck for much of the game as Pato and Robinho peppered the Spurs goal, but they held on to secure the draw, and with it their progress into the last eight in their debut season in the competition.

The home side started brightly, and Rafael van der Vaart had the chance to give Spurs an early lead. Peter Crouch headed the ball back across the face of goal from Aaron Lennon's cross, but Van der Vaart was unable to poke the ball past the advancing Christian Abbiati, who received a boot in his face for his troubles.

After early efforts for both sides, the game became scrappy, and Spurs had Gallas to thank for keeping the score goalless when the former Arsenal defender cleared Robinho's shot off the line. Gomes came rushing out of his goal, but was easily beaten by Pato, who crossed to Robinho, but the Brazilian scuffed his shot and Gallas was able to hack the ball clear.

Mathieu Flamini, who was lucky to avoid a red card for his tackle on Vedran Corluka in the first leg, saw yellow in the second half for a similar lunge. The former Arsenal midfielder had been met by boos by the White Hart Lane crowd, and he did nothing to ingratiate himself with the home fans when he flew in for a tackle on Benoit Assou-Ekotto, and he found himself in the book although he did make clean contact with the ball.

Van der Vaart saw a long-range effort sneak just over the bar, while Gomes was called upon to save from Pato after a sharp run from the lively Brazilian.

Spurs were living dangerously, and were handed a get-out-of-jail-free card when the defence eventually managed to scramble the ball clear after Gomes could only parry Robinho's low strike after Van der Vaart gave the ball away in midfield.

Milan continued to press, and Pato's strike flashed just wide after a well-worked move from Milan, initiated by Milan substitute Alexander Merkel, and Robinho's strike was deflected over the bar in the dying minutes as the home fans desperately called for the referee to blow the final whistle, prompting wild celebrations at White Hart Lane.

In the other Champions League action, Schalke sealed their place in the quarter-finals with a 3-1 win over Valencia for a 4-2 aggregate victory. The Spanish side took the lead through Ricardo Costa, but two goals from Jefferson Farfan and one from Mario Gavranovic secured an impressive turnaround for the struggling Bundesliga side.

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