morning papers CL final

The TimesMay 21, 2008
United win Champions League on penalties
Richard Neale
Manchester United have beaten Chelsea 6-5 on penalties after a pulsating 120 minutes of action in Moscow ended with the sides deadlocked at 1-1.
Cristiano Ronaldo - who had earlier scored in normal time - was the guilty party for United, seeing his penalty saved, before John Terry, with the tenth penalty of the shootout, missed the chance to win the match for Chelsea, the captain slipping and seeing his effort clip the outside of the post. With the score at 6-5 to United, Nicolas Anelka then had his kick saved by United's Dutch international goalkeeper, Edwin van der Sar to seal a victory every bit as dramatic as their last-minute triumph over Bayern Munich in 1999.
The prolific Ronaldo gave Manchester United the lead with a powerful header after 26 minutes, only for Frank Lampard to score a somewhat fortuitous equaliser for Chelsea on the stroke of half-time, the England midfielder profiting when an ambitious Michael Essien shot was deflected into his path.
Probably not believing their luck at going in at the interval on level terms after having been outplayed for the most part, Chelsea were the dominant force against an evidently tiring United in the second half and Didier Drogba struck a post with 12 minutes remaining.
Lampard then hit the underside of the bar in an equally thrilling first period of extra time, while John Terry headed away a goalbound effort from Ryan Giggs, a second-half substitute, with the Chelsea goalkeeper this time beaten. It was pulsating, thrilling, end-to-end action in a final that started slowly but grew in intensity and by the end was being played in an atmosphere of almost unbearable tension.
Ultimately, that pressure reached boiling point and beyond as Drogba was shown the red card for slapping Nemanja Vidic in the face in the midst of a mass alternation featuring at least half a dozen players from both sides.
With so much at stake, both sides were anxious not to throw many players forward in the early stages and there was not a shot to speak of in the first quarter of an hour, before Ronaldo, who else, brought the crowd in the Luzhniki Stadium to their feet with a piece of brilliance down the left wing.
Like a conjuror, Ronaldo showed the ball to Michael Essien before making it disappear before the Ghanaian’s very eyes, jinking his way past the makeshift right back in a flash before delivering a cross which bypassed Petr Cech, the Chelsea goalkeeper, but was too high for Owen Hargreaves.
Tempers flared midway through the half as Claude Makelele chased a loose ball in midfield. The France international appeared favourite to win it, but Paul Scholes went in with a robust challenge which resulted in the pair clashing heads.
Manchester United’s former England midfielder was treated for a nasty-looking facial injury and the challenge resulted in a melee which saw Wayne Rooney push Ashley Cole. The two initial protagonists were both shown the yellow card by the Slovakian referee Lubos Michel.
Finally, Chelsea started to carry a threat. A cross from Lampard looked certain to pick out the unmarked Drogba before Vidic made a timely headed intervention. Lampard’s right-wing corner then brushed the top of Terry’s head with United defenders floundering.
Scholes came back on to the pitch after his continued participation had appeared in some doubt, which would have been heartbreaking for a player who had missed the 1999 Champions League final victory over Bayern Munich through suspension. Immediately after his return, the ginger-haired midfielder had a hand in creating the opening goal. A quick throw-in and interchange of passes gave Wes Brown some space to cross and his centre was perfect for Ronaldo, who escaped the attentions of the snoozing Essien to bullet a header past the statuesque and helpless Cech for his 42nd goal of an incredible season
Chelsea attempted to respond but Ballack’s effort from 25 yards although well struck was way over the crossbar.
The woes for Avram Grant’s side continued to grow, and Drogba required treatment for a back problem after an aerial clash with Rio Ferdinand. Scholes, very reluctantly, finally acquiesced and kicked the ball out of play to allow the trainer to come on to the pitch and attend the Ivory Coast striker with the notoriously low pain threshold.
Chelsea, though, awoke from their lethargy and came close to levelling. Lampard played an inch-perfect cross to Drogba at the far-post and his header into the centre was almost headed into his own goal by Ferdinand, under intense, and palpably unfair pressure from Ballack. Van der Sar made an excellent reaction save to tip the ball over the bar.
At the other end, United could have doubled their lead within a minute. Rooney’s raking pass picked out Ronaldo and his centre in turn found Carlos Tevez, whose header was kept out by a wonderful low save by Cech, the goalkeeper quickly regaining his feet to parry away the follow-up from Carrick.
Chelsea’s defence looked ragged and vulnerable. Rooney burst down the right and crossed with barely a second thought for Tevez, who could only get the ends of his studs to what was a glorious chance.
Then out of the blue, Grant’s men were level just before the interval. Essien’s hopeful long-range effort hit Ferdinand on the back and cannoned kindly to Lampard, who is not the kind of goal-poacher to make a mistake from 10 yards. No wonder United looked shell-shocked – it was the first goal they had conceded in nearly nine hours of football in Europe.
In first-half stoppage time Ronaldo was felled by a brutal challenge by Carvalho, his Portugal international team-mate, which resulted in the fourth yellow card of the first period.
Ronaldo showed his vision once more early in the second half to free Patrice Evra down the left, but the Frenchman’s cross was too high, as was Essien’s left-foot shot after he had collected a Florent Malouda through-ball and cut back to leave two Manchester United defenders chasing shadows.
Ballack skewed a right-foot thunderbolt wide but for once it was the London club who were asking the questions. As the pressure on United intensified, Ferdinand was treated for cramp with 20 minutes remaining.
Chelsea were within inches of getting their noses in front when Drogba exploded into life seven minutes later, collecting the ball on the edge of the penalty area, he unleashed an exquisite curling shot which rebounded to safety off the outside of the post.
With extra time looming, Sir Alex Ferguson threw on Ryan Giggs for Scholes, the Wales player surpassing Sir Bobby Charlton’s record of 758 appearances for United in the process.
Lampard - who had appeared to be a man driven after the untimely death of his mother Pat - also struck the Manchester United woodwork. Collecting a ball from Ballack, he cut back onto his left foot and unleashed a shot which crashed back off the underside of the bar.
But back came United - Evra's surging run took him into the area and the ball broke to Giggs, who curiously opted to shoot with the outside of his right foot with the goal gaping. The omnipresent Terry was there to head the effort to safety with Cech beaten.
Drogba - unhappy and linked with a summer move away - never gave up trying in the cause and thrashed a 25-yard free-kick just wide, though his evening was to come to a premature end after an argument over not kicking the ball out of play after an injury spiralled out of all proportion to the nature of the perceived offence
How Chelsea ratedMatt Hughes Formation: 4-3-3 Average rating: 6.8
Petr Cech 8Kept Chelsea in the match with an amazing double save from Tévez and Carrick in the 35th minute as United threatened to race to a 3-0 lead and saved Ronaldo’s penalty in the shoot-out.
Michael Essien 6Appeared an accident waiting to happen at the back, repeatedly beaten by Ronaldo and Evra and at fault for the first goal, but gave Chelsea energy and momentum going forward.
Ricardo Carvalho 7Booked for a late challenge on Ronaldo but otherwise faultless, frequently called upon to cover as the positioning of Essien and occasionally Terry, his captain, was exposed.
John Terry 7May never recover from missing the penalty that would have given Chelsea their first European Cup, but deserves every sympathy after another wholehearted performance.
Ashley Cole 6Not 100 per cent fit after his prematch collision with Makelele and was kept busy in his defensive role by the rampaging Hargreaves, although he was fortunate to escape trial by Ronaldo.
Michael Ballack 7Started slowly but gradually began to dominate as Chelsea exerted a stranglehold at the start of the second half, going close with a free kick and blasting over the bar from distance.
Claude Makelele 7Rarely caught the eye, other than Scholes’s in a nasty collision, although that is not his role and he was as busy as ever, making more passes than any other Chelsea player.
Frank Lampard 8Appeared engaged in a one-man battle to keep Chelsea in the match, playing several good balls to Drogba and grabbing the equaliser before hitting the bar with an exquisite chip in extra time.
Joe Cole 6Chelsea’s player of the season has tired as the campaign has reached its climax and disappointed last night, flickering on occasions without ever really looking threatening.
Didier Drogba 7Well marshalled by Ferdinand and Vidic but still a considerable handful, hitting the post with a curling shot in the second half before sullying his reputation with a needless sending-off.
Florent Malouda 6Preferred to Kalou for his experience and superior ball retention and determined to make the most of his opportunity, running at Brown from the outset without ever really troubling the right back.
Substitutions: Salomon Kalou (for Malouda, 92min) 5; Nicolas Anelka (for J Cole, 99) 5, Juliano Belletti (for Makelele, 120). Not used: Carlo Cudicini, Andriy Shevchenko, John Obi Mikel, Alex.
Booked: Makelele, Carvalho, Ballack, Essien. Sent off: Drogba. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Telegraph:
Manchester United join Europe's greats after Moscow winBy Henry Winter at the Luzhnki Stadium
Manchester United (1) 1 Chelsea (1) 1 Aet: 1-1; Manchester United win 6-5 on pens
The heavens opened over this epic all-English final last night, weeping tears of joy for Manchester United and tears of sympathy for John Terry. What a beautiful way for United to mark the 50th anniversary of Munich, but what a brutal way for such an honest pro as Terry to be treated by the sporting gods, his foot slipping on the uncertain surface as he addressed what would have been the winning penalty in a merciless shoot-out. Football, bloody hell.
When Nicolas Anelka's kick was then saved by the magnificent Edwin van der Sar, and United's players cavorted in the rain, Terry's misery was complete. England's captain adores Chelsea so deeply, loves football so intensely, that his pain was palpable. Avram Grant, Chelsea's coach for a few hours more, showed real dignity in moving swiftly to console his captain, who wept on his shoulder.
Kings of Europe: Rio Ferdinand and Ryan Giggs hold aloft Manchester United's third European Cup in Moscow
If the heart went out to Terry and Frank Lampard, who had also given everything, and the rest of Grant's band of blue-shirted brothers who could easily have won, the heart had to leap with delight at the sight of United laying their eager hands on a third European Cup.
United's sense of adventure, their commitment to youth, the unbelievable running of Carlos Tevez and Owen Hargreaves, the work ethic of Wayne Rooney and Wes Brown, and the magic of Cristiano Ronaldo all deserved the reward of being crowned kings of Europe.
Even when Ronaldo missed during the shoot-out, the Portuguese wizard had done enough to remind the world of his virtuoso talent on the grandest stage. His first-half header was a gem, matched only by the excellence of Lampard's riposte just before the break.
If a night crammed with heroes offered up one villain it had to be Didier Drogba, deservedly expelled for slapping Nemanja Vidic. If this brilliant target-man does now exit the Bridge of sighs, he leaves with his head held low. His act of stupidity robbed Chelsea of a regular penalty-taker, so ushering Terry into the firing line.
advertisementAs Drogba stood in the shadows of shame, a centre-half not known for dead-ball prowess had the nerve to take a penalty. When the studs of his left boot failed to grip on the slippery surface, echoing David Beckham's misfortune at Euro 2004, belief ebbed from the Londoners. As a distraught Terry went up to receive some metal that never glitters, the loser's medal, Chelsea fans rallied to their heartbroken captain, chanting his name.
United followers will observe that there was something fitting in Sir Bobby Charlton, that powerful testament to United's survival after Munich, leading the heirs to Sir Matt Busby's great tradition up to collect the European Cup. Terry and his vanquished team-mates were led up by chief executive, Peter Kenyon.
And so United painted the town red last night, sending fans celebrating into Red Square. United's victory was awash with history. No more fitting tribute to the 50th anniversary of Munich could be imagined than the sight of Ferguson's ambitious young team shining on the European stage.
No more appropriate celebration of the 40 years since United first lifted the trophy could be scripted than this triumph for the new holy trinity of Ronaldo, Rooney and Tevez.
When Old Trafford chants "stand up for the champions", the words will ring with a double resonance: champions of England and champions of Europe. For Ferguson, the trophy collected last night gleamed with particular significance, taking him into a select band of managers to have masterminded two European Cup triumphs like Helenio Herrera, Brian Clough and Ottmar Hitzfeld.
As Chelsea lick their wounds and rebuild, with a new manager, United look forward to a glamorous season. Ferguson's side qualify for the Super Cup in Monaco where they meet Zenit St Petersburg as well as the pre-Christmas jaunt to Tokyo for the World Club Championship. More journeys, more joys.
The 30,000 United fans who flocked to the Luzhniki, fathers and sons, groups of friends, revelled in a night they will never, ever forget. Whatever happens in the future, they will always have Moscow, always have that image of Rio Ferdinand and Ryan Giggs lifting the European Cup as Ferguson beamed with smiles.
United's manager had been bold, unleashing his most attacking players, Tevez joining Ronaldo and Rooney in a 4-4-2 formation with Hargreaves starting on the right, reprising a role he filled successfully at home to Roma. Wary of Chelsea's central strength, Hargreaves often tucked inside to assist Paul Scholes and Michael Carrick.
United were first to show, scoring after 26 minutes. When Ashley Cole conceded a throw-in deep in Chelsea territory, Scholes combined superbly with Brown, who worked the ball on to his left foot as United's attackers made their moves.
Rooney darted towards the near-post, Tevez ventured towards the centre, dragging the centre-backs with them, isolating Essien against Ronaldo. As Brown's cross dropped over, Ronaldo outjumped Essien, showing power and timing as he met the ball firmly with his head, sending it flying past Cech from 10 yards.
Cech was superb, soon showing his prowess, following a United surge of breathtaking brilliance. When Rooney acquired the ball in his own half, he immediately spotted Ronaldo's lung-breaking burst down the left. Rooney found him, triggering a remarkable sequence of events.
Ronaldo's hard cross was met by the stooping Tevez, whose header drew an unbelievable save from Cech. Terry completed the clearance but only to the edge of the area where Carrick was arriving like the Trans-Siberian Express. The midfielder met the ball sweetly enough, but too close to Cech, who stretched out his right hand and palmed the ball away. "Come on", screamed Cech.
What a game. Tight? Cagey? No chance. These two Premier League heavyweights kept tearing into each other, Lampard equalising with a neat shot when Essien's effort deflected off Vidic and Ferdinand. Lampard raced away, pointing to the heavens, remembering his mother, who passed away so tragically recently. "That's for you," Lampard mouthed.
Drogba almost broke a post with a fantastic 30-yarder, Lampard struck the bar as Chelsea then dominated. But Van der Sar stood firm in the shoot-out.
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Man Utd 1 Chelsea 1 (aet; MU win 6-5 on pens): Terry's cruel slip hands Cup to United on unforgettable night
By Sam Wallace, Football Correspondent at the Luzhniki StadiumThursday, 22 May 2008
At Old Trafford they believed that for the sheer edge-of-the-seat, heartstopping drama 1999 would never be beaten. And then at 1.35 Moscow time this morning, suddenly we had to reassess the definition of an extraordinary, stupendous way to win the Champions League, Manchester United-style.
It was a truly remarkable night, one that will live in the pantheon forever and quite possibly scar the psyche of every Chelsea fan who witnessed it. In the Russian roulette of the penalty shootout, John Terry had only to beat Edwin van der Sar with the last penalty of 10 to bring the European Cup to the club he been at his entire career. When Terry slipped and shot wide, Roman Abramovich slumped back into his chair. £578m does not buy a man immunity to the cruelties of this game.
The Russian billionaire had his head in his hands as United polished off Chelsea in sudden death, the decisive moment when Van der Sar stopped Nicolas Anelka's penalty. Within seconds, Sir Alex Ferguson was with his players on the pitch, wiping the rain from his eyes like an old gent caught in the garden when a storm struck. But Ferguson is no retiree. At 66 he is the 16th manager in history to win the European Cup more than once, he has done it in the 50th anniversary year of the Munich air disaster and as he embraced Cristiano Ronaldo you would not bet against the old boy equalling Bob Paisley's record of three.
Did someone mention Ronaldo? Incredibly the only United player to miss from the spot was the player of the year, the assassin from 12 yards and the man who, after a 42-goal season, came within a whisker of blowing his club's amazing double. Instead it was Terry who was left to weep on the shoulder of assistant manager Steve Clarke; the Chelsea captain broken into bits by his miss, standing in the drifting rain of a Moscow night wondering if he is destined to be remembered forever for one thing. The man who missed.
As his standing foot slipped as he struck his penalty, Terry was the victim of the piece. The victim but not the villain – that was Didier Drogba, needlessly sent off for flicking a hand into the face of Nemanja Vidic four minutes before the end of extra-time. Would he have taken that Terry penalty had he been on the pitch? As they stood stunned on the pitch at the end, sodden in the rain, brought to heel by the Ferguson-effect you had to wonder what this would mean for the Abramovich Chelsea project?
It was not a beautiful game, rather it was tense and utterly absorbing for the clash of styles of the titans of English football. Ronaldo's goal gave United the lead and for a period it looked that he, along with Wayne Rooney and Carlos Tevez, would sweep all before them. Then Chelsea came back remorselessly, exerting a grip on the game that had looked beyond them at times, and Frank Lampard scored the equaliser. Over 120 minutes, Chelsea had the better chances, perhaps shaded the victory on points, but this is not, as Bayern Munich would testify, enough to beat United.
As Abramovich clapped listlessly in the expensive seats and Ferguson leapt around in the rain with his players you had to wonder at the enduring quality of this man. Five years ago the Russian oligarch came to England and set out to undo the Ferguson dynasty. Five years on and both United and Chelsea have two Premier League titles in that period but it was Ferguson in Abramovich's hometown who carried off the prize they both really wanted. He just will not be stopped.
As Sir Bobby Charlton led United up to collect the trophy it was worth remembering that the game that had started one day earlier had finished on 22 May, the date which, 62 years earlier, George Best had been born. There was meaning and significance everywhere you looked. Ronaldo stood with his arm around Charlton as they waited for Ryan Giggs and Rio Ferdinand to be presented with the trophy. Later the Portuguese winger said that he wanted to stay. The answer to that was: who would want to leave this club?
Ferguson made the hard decision and picked Tevez, as well as his two dashing blades Rooney and Ronaldo and when United slipped gloriously into their stride after the first 20 minutes you were bound to agree. Once United had become accustomed to the dimensions of this large pitch, and the cluttered early exchanges had ceased, there was a period when Ferguson's team were out of Chelsea's control.
His nose bloodied from a challenge with Claude Makelele, Paul Scholes took charge of the game for 10 crucial minutes and United seized the lead. Their goal, on 26 minutes, was beautifully worked. Out on the right wing, Scholes and Wes Brown worked the ball around Lampard and the right-back flighted a ball to the back post which caught Michael Essien out. The Ghanaian is a formidable athlete but he does not have the instincts of a full-back and he allowed Ronaldo the space to head the ball down past Petr Cech.
United could have won the game in the next 15 minutes before, at last, Chelsea contained them again. It would have been an astonishing goal if they had pulled it off on 35 minutes, Rooney breaking away from Ashley Cole in the United half, taking half a dozen strides and hitting a peach of a ball crossfield to Ronaldo. Two touches from him and a low cross into the box that Tevez headed at Cech. Terry cleared and the Chelsea goalkeeper then hauled himself to his feet and stopped Michael Carrick's follow-up.
Breathless stuff and United going straight for the jugular. Three minutes before the break Rooney crossed from the right, his ball eluding Makelele and then, by inches, the outstretched boot of Tevez, too. The faces of Ferguson and the rest of the United bench told their story – they could have had this game won. But already Chelsea were stopping the tide and on 45 minutes, they equalised.
A weak clearance from Ferdinand was picked up by Essien marauding in from the right and he hit a shot that took two deflections on its passage through the United box. As Van der Sar came to get the ball, his foot slipped beneath him and he was fractionally late to prevent Lampard, whose run had taken him deep into the United area, from lifting the ball over the goalkeeper and into the net.
United had only themselves to blame: Carrick should have scored, so too Tevez and now they were back level with a team that were gaining momentum by the second. After the break Chelsea poured forward remorselessly. Essien shot over having held off Ronaldo's challenge; Michael Ballack shot a fraction wide. There was bad feeling: Owen Hargreaves against Makelele; Joe Cole and Patrice Evra, and you could see the Drogba incident coming.
He had hit the post 12 minutes from time and then lost his head in extra-time after Tevez had kicked the ball away. It took Drogba too long to get off the pitch and it may be the last Chelsea see of him. Rooney was substituted before the penalties, it was a flat evening from him and he ripped off his shirt in frustration as he reached the dugout. As for the penalties, Van der Sar said he knew which way Anelka was going to shoot which meant that by then he was the only calm head in the place.
Manchester United (4-1-4-1): Van der Sar; Brown (Anderson, 120), Ferdinand, Vidic, Evra; Carrick; Ronaldo, Scholes (Giggs, 88), Hargreaves, Rooney (Nani, 101); Tevez. Substitutes not used: Kuszczak (gk), O'Shea, Fletcher, Silvestre.
Chelsea (4-1-4-1): Cech; Essien, Carvalho, Terry, A Cole; Makelele (Belletti, 120); J Cole (Anelka, 98), Lampard, Ballack, Malouda (Kalou, 92); Drogba. Substitutes not used: Cudicini (gk), Shevchenko, Mikel, Alex.
Referee: L Michel (Slovakia).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Guardian report Min-by-min Match facts Champions' League FinalManchester United 1 Ronaldo 26 Chelsea 1 Lampard 45
Kevin McCarra in Moscow The Guardian, Thursday May 22 2008
Manchester United are once more engulfed in the delirious joy of Champions League melodrama. They were on the verge of defeat in the shoot-out as the Chelsea captain John Terry came up to take the penalty that would have brought the Champions League trophy to Stamford Bridge. His standing foot slipped as he struck the ball and the effort flew wide. A failure by Cristiano Ronaldo had been cancelled out.
The momentum was irreversibly United's and, in the end, Edwin van der Sar ensured that the trophy would come to Old Trafford for the third time by saving the spot kick from the substitute Niciolas Anelka. This is a club that cannot come by glory in this tournament until it has scared itself senseless. The Luzhniki Stadium witnessed a spectacle to compare with the comeback in 1999 when Bayern Munich were overtaken at the close of the final.
The memorability of such a moment depends, as well, on the images of the losers' unforgettable pain. Terry had been magnificent and, 11 minutes into extra-time, had somehow twisted his neck to head away a shot by the substitute Ryan Giggs that was bound for the net. It seemed inconceivable then that such a character could be brought low.
He is no culprit. The single person meriting blame is Didier Droga, sent off four minutes from the close of extra-time for aiming a slap at the United centre-half Nemanja Vidic following a melee after Chelsea had expected the ball to be returned to them at a throw-in. That folly by the Ivorian did not mar one of the most engrossing Champions League finals of modern times.
There is always a craving to consecrate winners as deserving of their prize. It is tempting to do that because, in the first-half particularly, they scored, wasted openings and were thwarted by the goalkeeper Petr Cech. That was an outstanding spell, but Chelsea's self-belief was also imposing. At times they appeared ready to overpower Sir Alex Ferguson's team.
The Scot declared this to be the first major shoot-out to have gone his way. Ignoring the fact that the bauble of the Community Shield came United's way in just such a fashion, against Chelsea, at the start of this season. Ferguson's memory has a great deal to contain and he has now conquered in all four of his European finals since the days with Aberdeen.
It might all have been different in Moscow and Drogba had struck the post during extra-time. Nothing, it appears, goes in favour of the Chelsea manager Avram Grant for long. The Israeli could well have imagined that his luck was turning when his team came through an initial bombardment. Now there will be more uncertainty and disquiet.
Terry's failure from the spot brought a gesture of wry exasperation from Roman Abramovich. The owner will ask himself if he is employing an unlucky manager or one who falls a little short of what is needed. Either way, the Russian, deliberating in Moscow last night, cannot ignore the fact that Chelsea have failed to take trophy for the first time in four seasons. Nor would he have liked the way in which United initially took his side by surprise.
To Chelsea's regret it turned out that it is possible for one of these teams to surprise the other. United did more still, disconcerting the opposition with tactics that helped Ronaldo score against these adversaries for the first time in his career. United had been sent out in a 4-4-2 formation that some might have supposed had been stashed in the Old Trafford museum. The purpose of it was to exploit the narrowness of Chelsea's 4-3-3 system and bedevil the full-backs. Michael Essien was the principal target. Accustomed as the Ghanaian midfielder is to operating on the right of the defence on occasions such as this, he has no experience of the suffering to which Ronaldo subjected him.The winger had left him utterly stranded in one incident and then embarrassed him more severely with the opener in the 27th minute. Paul Scholes exchanged passes with Wes Brown on the right and the latter stroked an unexpectedly good inswinging cross with his left foot. Ronaldo skipped in front of a static Essien to glide a perfect header low into the net.
It was a bruising encounter, with Scholes, for instance, requiring attention to a bloodied nose after a crash between himself and Claude Makelele that led to a yellow card for each of them. All the same, United were not diverted from performing with freedom. Owen Hargreaves brought his running power to bear from right midfield, the position in which got his earlier Champions League winners' medal with Bayern Munich in 2001.
Ten minutes before half-time, United should have been in a virtually unassailable position, but Petr Cech parried Carlos Tevez's header and then reached Michael Carrick's shot from that rebound. There was a further opportunity nine minutes later when Ronaldo could not quite get to the low ball by Wayne Rooney that had eluded Makelele. Nonetheless, United by then had been given a clue as to Chelsea's powers of recovery. When Drogba headed a deep cross into the centre after 34 minutes Rio Ferdinand, under pressure from Michael Ballack, knocked it towards his own net, only for Van der Sar to tip the ball onto the bar.
Chelsea had their fortune when pulling level. Essien's 25-yarder cannoned of Nemanja Vidic and then Ferdinand to set up Lampard for a coolly taken goal. Though Chelsea had been rallying, their feelings much have contained a measure of relief. It invigorated the team thereafter. Each side took the other to it limits.
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Sir Alex thanks his lucky tsars as penalty shoot-out gives United European Cup No 3By Matt Lawton
MANCHESTER UNITED 1 CHELSEA 1
(aet:1-1 at 90mins: Manchester United win 6-5 on pens)
Against a scene of delirium and delight in that centre circle last night was one of utter despair and dejection. Despair for John Terry, in particular, and a Chelsea side who no more deserved to lose against a jubilant Manchester United than they deserved to win. What an extraordinary game.
What an extraordinary climax. The sight of Terry sobbing into Avram Grant's rainsoaked shoulder. The sight of Cristiano Ronaldo sobbing on the ground, the Portuguese winger overwhelmed by a torturous final few minutes when he must have feared his penalty miss had cost Sir Alex Ferguson a second European Cup.
The sight of Roman Abramovich slumped back in his chair, almost unable to watch. The chance to win the Champions League fell first to Terry. His four colleagues had already scored, and all that now stood between Chelsea and their greatest moment was the penalty kick their captain was about to take.
A penalty that would have cemented Terry's position as the captain of Chelsea captains. But this is when football can be its cruellest. When it can take a great gladiator like Terry and tear out his heart As he pulled back his right boot to unleash his shot, his left foot slipped and the ball flew wide.
There was, of course, more drama to follow. Converted penalties for Anderson and Salomon Kalou and then one for Ryan Giggs, the Welshman marking that 759th appearance with what proved the decisive strike. Once, that is, Nicolas Anelka had seen his attempt saved by a diving Edwin van der Sar. And why was it Anelka and not Didier Drogba? Why Terry and not Drogba?
Because the petulant Chelsea striker had been sent off in disgrace, dismissed four minutes before the end of extra-time for slapping Nemanja Vidic in the face. A final foolish act, quite possibly, for a player who may not now be missed if he does choose to go to AC Milan. Where it leaves Grant only Abramovich can decide.
But it is a hard man who reflects on what Grant has done for Chelsea and decides his time is up. Not least because of the nature of this defeat. That, however, was the difference between success and failure here at the Luzhniki Stadium.
Immortality for one manager and probable unemployment for the other. This was the night when Ferguson joined what he considers the elite of European football. That pantheon of managers who have lifted the ultimate prize more than once. He should now be considered the greatest of his generation. Those 10 Premier League titles.
The two European Cups. The countless other domestic and European trophies, both at United and at Aberdeen. Then there are the teams he has nurtured and created, this being his finest team in 22 largely glorious years at Old Trafford. A team that hoped to employ their style and skill to conquer Chelsea's strength but in the end relied on the strength of their character. It was enthralling stuff.
Slow to start, the match was ignited by Ronaldo's 26th-minute goal. A 42nd of the season that it seemed had taken him to a new level. Level 42, you might say. In Frank Lampard, however, Chelsea appeared to have a saviour.
Good fortune played a part, Michael Essien's shot taking a deflection off two United defenders before falling to the England man. But the player who captured the hearts of a nation with that penalty against Liverpool struck again before staring to the heavens in acknowledgment of his late mother.
The second half was memorable for moving from Wednesday to Thursday here in Moscow but we could have waited until Friday and a further goal never would have come. The match was so tight, so tense. Both sides had other chances.
United could have been three goals up before Lampard equalised moments before half-time, with first Michael Carrick squandering a wonderful opportunity before Carlos Tevez followed suit. After the break it was Drogba who went closest, driving a shot against Van der Sar's post.
And in the first half of extra-time, Lampard sent a close-range shot against the bar. In Giggs, United almost had their matchwinner before the penalties arrived. His effort was a good one but from somewhere Terry arrived to divert the ball to safety with his head. Intent underlined Ferguson's selection.
The modern day holy trinity of Ronaldo, Tevez and Wayne Rooney were deployed, as was Owen Hargreaves in a three-man midfield designed to offer some resistance to Michael Ballack and Lampard. A prudent move from Ferguson, who in the end could not even find a place for Ji-sung Park on the bench.
The tension was almost tangible. The sheer terror at the prospect of losing. The merest thought at what, last night, was at stake. But when a goal from seemingly nothing arrived in the 26th minute, the real drama began. It was the simplest of moves. A delightful one-two between Paul Scholes and Wes Brown and then what amounted to the best ball of Brown's career.
A ball that allowed Ronaldo to drop off the shoulder of Essien and and beat Petr Cech with a wonderful header. Now we had a game. Now we had a situation where Chelsea had to cast off their defensive shackles and chase this Champions League Final.
Now we would discover what this Chelsea and Grant were really made of. The answer almost came six minutes later. A ball from deep on the left from Lampard that was met by Drogba forced Rio Ferdinand to make a desperate lunge that so nearly ended in an own goal. Much to the United captain's relief, Van der Sar made a terrific save.
It was followed, at the other end, by a quite stunning double save from Cech. First he somehow stopped a header from Tevez, after fine work from Rooney and Ronaldo, then a well-struck effort from Carrick, who really should have scored. Tevez then squandered another brilliant opportunity to put this game beyond Chelsea's reach.
The cross from Rooney was perfect, the finish from Tevez not so good. It proved all the more costly for the fact that Lampard then equalised. After that, a war of attrition and an inevitable conclusion. A conclusion from which Terry may never recover. That cost Chelsea the chance to win the Champions League and may yet cost Grant his job.----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------