Wednesday, May 21, 2008

MANCHESTER UNITED WINS THIRD EUROPEAN CLUB CHAMPIONSHIP

At Moscow:

Manchester United won their first Champions League title since 1999 by defeating Chelsea to win the 2007-08 UEFA Champions League title. The match was decided in the penalty-kick shootout, with the Red Devils won 6-5 in seven rounds, after the match was deadlocked 1-1 through 120 minutes.

High drama
United had prevailed 3-0 in the FA Community Shield shoot-out on 5 August after a 1-1 draw and were on course to be crowned European champions when Cristiano Ronaldo headed them into a 26th-minute lead. Chelsea equalised 19 minutes later through Frank Lampard and appeared more likely winners thereafter, Didier Drogba and Lampard striking the woodwork. The former was red-carded for slapping Nemanja Vidić deep into extra time, before Petr Čech's save from Ronaldo's penalty put the prize within reach of the ten men only for John Terry to fire wide the potentially clinching kick. Three conversions later, Van der Sar outwitted Anelka and United were celebrating again.

One would wonder if Didier Drogba had not done his Moe Howard impersonation on Nemanja Vidic in that second overtime period.

Here's another account:

Goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar was the hero with a penalty save to deny Nicolas Anelka after Chelsea captain John Terry had missed the chance to win the Blues the trophy by firing his own spot-kick hit the post.

The dramatic shootout looked to be going Chelsea's way after Petr Cech saved Cristiano Ronaldo's effort but Terry's miss opened the door for Sir Alex Ferguson to clinch his second Champions League crown.



It was United's third European club crown to go win championships in 1968 and 1999.




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