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Milan went through 4-3 on aggregate after the Gunners won Tuesday night’s second leg 3-0, with goals from Laurent Koscielny and Tomas Rosicky and a Van Persie penalty.
The Dutchman was denied a crucial second goal, which would have levelled the Champions League tie on aggregate, when he tried to chip Abbiati from close range.
The keeper, who was on the ground, stuck out a hand to keep his effort out.
Abbiati explained: “My save? I just raised my arm and I was lucky Van Persie tried to chip it.”
Van Persie, though, has revealed no regrets about trying to dink the ball over Abbiati, and reckons he would do it again if given the chance.
“The way I saw it, the keeper was quite close to me so the option wasn’t there to pass it left or right of him.
“I had to go for the chip, I’ll have to watch back, but that’s how I felt.”
Milan now advance at the expense of Arsenal, with a relieved Abbiati admitting Milan got their tactics wrong.
He added: “It’s extremely important that we got through to the next round. It was a two-faced round this one. The first was an extraordinary game and then tonight (Tuesday),
we almost gifted them the first half.
“They’re good games to be involved in against teams that are used to playing at this level.
“Maybe in the first half we tried to hold on to possession more than we should have. Then in the second half we were a different team and they were tired. We held on to the ball well and tried to score as well.
“This shows that two legged games are never over until the whistle goes. We should have ended the first game, not 4-0 but five or six.” — BBC.
Online Reporter