Get in touch with us as the evening progresses. Leave a comment in the comments field below, send your e-mails to adrian@thescore.ie, tweet us @thescore_ie, or come find us on Facebook. You know it makes sense.
10.16pm Okay, that’s all she wrote tonight. I’m going for a lie down in a dark room – or possibly under the desk.
We’ll have another liveblog on Saturday for the egg-chasing action – and there’ll be one for each day of Cheltenham next week. God help us all.
Stop by in the morning for all the usual stuff. Let’s be careful out there.
FULL TIME And it finishes in Goodison Park too. 1-1. Neither angry Scottish manager will be particularly less angry tonight.
FULL-TIME Schalke 04 3-1 Valencia (agg 4-2)
9.47pm Here’s a good one, fact fans: Harry is the first English manager to reach the CL quarter-finals. Not a lot of people know that, as Michael Caine doesn’t say.
9.38pm The whistle hasn’t gone in Germany yet, but Farfan has now made it 3-1. Peter Crouch:
“It’s a huge night for us. We defended magnificently – we had to dig in and defend from the front and I think we deserved it over the two legs.”
9.36pm Dunphy writes off Italian football as ‘gone’.
Is it gone? Where’s it gone? You didn’t say you were going, Serie A. Is it coming back?
9.35pm Glory, Glory Tottenham Hotspur rings out. “It’s a remarkable night for the white half of London,” as George signs off.
9.34pm I’m trying to crank up the tension by writing shorter sentences like John Grisham.
Pressure for Spurs. Loud singing. The ref reaches for his whistle. It’s over.
9.33pm It’s a free-out after there’s some pushing in the box. The ref has been consistently fussy all night. That should be it.
9.32pm Milan stream forward, a lovely one-two between Zlatan and Robinho before the Brazilian’s shot is deflected over. Corner…
9.29pm One minute to go in London. It should be all over in Germany. “Gavranovic takes advantage of a frankly useless tackle from Ricardo Costa and storms towards goal, but his shot is pushed behind,” write the BBC.
Here is Gavranovic’s earlier goal however:
szólj hozzá: Sch 2-1 Val
9.27pm There’s three or four minutes left at the Lane and the atmosphere was cranked up a notch. Milan need a goal – obviously – or its curtains.
9.24pm An instant after Spurs introduce the Russian as their final sub, Corluka clashes with Pato and seems hurt. He’ll have to carry on now.
9.18pm Pato drills a shot low which ripples the side netting, sending the Milan fans into momentary rapture. Getting closer though.
Roman Pavlyuchenko is coming on as Spurs’ last sub.
9.13pm Oh my, Jonny Heitinga ‘literally picked his spot’ with this corker at Goodison.
szólj hozzá: —
9.11pm Gareth Bale is immediately clattered by serial offender Flamini as they chase a bouncing ball. He’s lucky not to pick up a second yellow.
Jenas is on for Pienaar.
9.06pm Spurs off the hook again. How is this still goal-less?
Robinho pulls it wide from five yards out after Gomes spills a shot. But… God’s gift Gareth Bale is on for my dude VdV.
8.55pm GOAL! Schalke go 2-1 up thanks to Mario Gavranovic. Germans 3-1 up overall.
8.49pm It’s a nice bright start from Spurs. And Everton have equalised on Merseyside thanks to Jonny Heitenga.
More intertestingly perhaps, the BBC report: “Er, what? Bizarre scenes at Goodsion Park where referee Peter Walton has just mimed the booking of Birmingham midfielder Jordan Mutch. He even went rummaging in his pocket. I think he might have forgotten his cards tonight – that just looked odd though. On the touchline, Everton boss David Moyes looked puzzled too.”
8.45pm Spurs are back on the pitch. Chippy asks for us to excuse his language before insisting that Spurs need to ‘show some balls’. Or ‘man up’, according to Bill.
What about this though from Farfan?
8.31pm GOAL Shalke scored about five minutes ago but I’ve just noticed. Jefferson Farfan curled a free-kick past Guaita’s hand and into the top corner.
And it’s half-time in north London with the tie delicately poised.
My colleagues – who’ve gone for a meal – will be tucking into their main courses about now I imagine. Never mind, I’ll just get the kettle on and have a handful of Coco Pops.
8.29pm Spurs are living dangerously. There’ll be one minute of added time and ‘Arry will be quite happy to get them in for their orange slices without a goal conceded.
8.24pm David Pleat is always worth a listen on Five Live: “Tottenham have to tuck Steven Pienaar right in and equalise the midfield. At the moment Tottenham must keep the back four up against Milan’s front three because of their threat, which means full-backs Vedran Corluka and Benoit Assou-Ekotto cannot attack down the flanks.”
8.21pm GOAL! Everton 0 Birmingham 1 (Beausejour 17). Mutch angles ball into box and Beausejour beats Hibbert in air to head past – from Teamtalk.
8.18pm Here’s that Ricardo goal - he didn’t know a whole lot about it if you ask me, Jeff.
In the meantime, Spurs are starting to realise that Milan are no mugs. In fact, they’re five points clear at the top of Serie A. You may have heard of it.
8.10pm Spurs get off the hook there. Pato gone in behind Dawson, rounded Gomes and scuffed a shot off a Spurs defender… only for William Gallas to clear off the line.
GOAL! Valencia have scored a really important away goal. Moments after Mario Gavranovic misses a sitter for Schalke with a free header, Valencia punish them. Ricardo Costa sneaks it in at the near post from six yards.
8pm With 15 mins on the clock, Zlatan gets his first real shot in with a rasping free kick from left of the box, forcing Gomes to stretch and punch it behind. This is very open.
7.56pm Milan had a bit of dominance for a while but Spurs look fairly comfortable in holding their shape. Van der Vaart then launches a free kick high over the bar prompting George Hamilton to speculate on his internal monologue: sorry, mate, didn’t mean that…’
Andy Gray was murder for that before his Sky Sports demise.
7.46pm Rafael Van der Vaart gets the first shot away – a little toe-poke from the D after Assou-Ekotto cut in from the wing.
Ibra then got his first glimpse of Gomes’ eyes before Dawson lunged in at the expense of a corner. This could be end-to-end.
7.41pm The teams are filing out. White Hart Lane is rocking.
The Milan supporters have a banner declaring: “We believe”. Do you? What’s your prediction?
I’ve backed that 3-1 at 17-1 and my boy RVDV to score.
7.32pm The Everton and Brum teams for those interested, good to see Duffy on the bench:
Everton: Howard, Hibbert, Jagielka, Distin, Baines, Heitinga, Osman, Arteta, Rodwell, Saha, Beckford.
Subs: Mucha, Bilyaletdinov, Coleman, Anichebe, Mustafi, Duffy, Baxter.
Birmingham: Foster, Carr, Ridgewell, Johnson, Jiranek, Bentley, Larsson, Bowyer, Mutch, Beausejour, Jerome.
Subs: Doyle, Murphy, Phillips, Martins, Zigic, Parnaby, Davies.
7.28pm I should mention that Everton are hosting Birmingham at 8pm. It;s a big ‘un.
From the BBC: Saj Chowdhury reports - “Everton bring in Johnny Heitinga to replace Phil Neville in the middle. He partners Jack Rodwell in central midfield. Victor Anichebe starts on the bench with Louis Saha and Jermaine Beckford leading the attack. Birmingham’s Martin Jiranek takes the place of Curtis Davies in central defence, Seb Larsson comes in for Obafemi Martins while Jordon Mutch replaces the injured Keith Fahey.”
Liam Brady is doing admirably well in not losing his cool as the RTÉ lads review last night’s drama. Billo describes John Giles’ latest Herald column as ‘trenchant’. I don’t know how I’d feel about that description.
7.16pm We’ve had our first email of the night. Come on down… Brendan Doolin from the internet. “Spurs, 2-1 or 3-1. In the other game the German side will beat Valencia at home,” he writes with confidence.
Nice one, keep them coming. I reckon 3-1 might not be far wrong. That’s priced at 17-1 by the way.
7.06pm While Dunphy sings the praises of one of my favbourite players Luka Modric, here’s a stat from Opta:
“2 – Steve Perryman scored a brace, 2-1, in the only previous European match at the Lane between Spurs and Milan in 1972 UEFA cup semi. WHL”
6.57pm But as the excellent Michael Cox tweets: “Downside of Milan’s ultra-attacking line-up is that they have the most defensive bench you’ll ever see…a keeper, a back four and two CMs.”
In the other game, Shalke welcome Valencia. I once fell asleep outside the stadion in Gelsenkirchen before Portugal beat England at the World cup in 2006. I don’t know what that adds to the conversation.
We’ll keep an eye on both games. All my colleagues are gone to the pub FYI.
EARLY DOORS: Are we all present? Then let’s begin.
Tottenham welcome AC Milan to White Hart Lane tonight in a delicately-poised tie. Harry Redknapp’s boys won 1-0 at the San Siro two weeks’ ago.
But… the Italians have just named a very attack-minded side and look to be up for a long night in London.
Tottenham: Gomes, Corluka, Dawson, Gallas, Assou-Ekotto, Lennon, Sandro, Modric, Pienaar, Van der Vaart, Crouch
Milan: Abbiati; Abate, Nesta, Thiago Silva, Jankulovski; Boateng, Flamini, Seedorf; Pato, Robinho; Ibrahimovic
