I feel like AVB made a huge tactical error tonight but I can see what his thinking was.
We didn't have any pace in the team to play on the counter attack with Bale and Lennon both missing, we just wouldn't have been much of a threat counter attacking. So I think his thinking was that we go there to control the game in their half and play a high line, and we would get a goal even if they got one or two and they would have an uphill battle. Obviously didn't work out quite like that because 1.) They were better than we expected 2.) Most of our players thought the tie was over before the match even started and 3.) Friedel isn't Lloris and leaves us horribly exposed against balls played behind the defense. If Lloris and Dawson started I doubt we would have been ripped apart by through balls and balls over the top like we were tonight.
We probably should have just gone into the game with the view of not conceding and being defensively solid but we are through regardless and learned a lesson hopefully.