Allegri: We respect Tottenham

AC Milan manager Massimiliano Allegri said his side will respect Tottenham after drawing the Champions League newcomers in the round of 16.

Allegri said the Londoners showed in the group stages why they are a threat to the big clubs in the final rounds of the lucrative tournament in Europe, finishing on top of their group, including a victory over Milan’s city rivals Internazionale.

“Of course Tottenham is a strong team. They have ranked first in their round and therefore the team deserves our respect. It’s normal that, compared to other teams which we could be facing, this is the most accessible,” Allegri said.

Allegri added that their clash against Tottenham is not their immediate concern, with the Italian boss aiming to head into the winter break on a winning note.

“We should work at best, but there are still two months to come, many matches to play, Christmas and the match against Roma. We’ll focus on one target at a time,” Allegri said.

Allegri noted Roma will have an attacking mindset reflective of their sixth placing in the league when they clash with the Serie A leaders at the San Siro on Saturday.

“(What is) important is that we play a good match as far as the tempo and the enthusiasm are concerned, since all matches before the holidays are always kind of particular and there is a sort of waste,” Allegri said.

“The team worked hard since we know that Roma has great technical skills: from a technical point of view, they’re one of the three strongest teams in Italy. If we don’t battle in the right way it will be hard to win.”