Man Utd Beat Chelsea on Penalties to Win UEFA Champions League
Man Utd have won a pulsating match at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow 6 - 5 on penalties to win the 2008 UEFA Champions League.
Ronaldo opened the scoring on 26 minutes, only for Lampard to equalise in first-half injury time. In an open, end-to-end final there were no further goals and a penalty shoot-out seemed as though it was going to be the only way to settle this one. United won the resulting shoot-out 6 - 5 to take the trophy.
The first-half belonged to United, with superior possession, better passing and better movement than the West London club. The game opened with a flourish and a message of intent from both clubs. Media predictions that the match would start slowly, and conservatively were quashed within minutes as both clubs attacked from the offset.
Despite the openness of the play, there were no noteworthy attempts on goal in the opening 25 minutes. With a player like Cristiano Ronaldo on your side though, you are always a threat. Indeed it was Ronaldo who opened the scoring in the 26th minute. Wes Brown exchanged a quick one-two with Paul Scholes, before whipping in a cross from the right where a virtually unmarked Ronaldo headed neatly into the top corner. Ferguson was clever enough to play Ronaldo on the left against the unnatural Chelsea left-back, Essien, rather than matching him up with Ashley Cole. Essien was left completely flat-footed, watching Ronaldo head home.
Ronaldo was running rings around the makeshift left-back, and it was starting to look like the Portuguese winger would run the game. Grant would surely have to change things to neutralise the threat from Ronaldo. Just 5 mons after the opener, Ronaldo beat Essien again but saw his attempt at goal headed wide by Carvalho.
Malouda was also disappointing, and was hardly in the game at all. Should Grant have started with the more natural attacking threat of Kalou? It was looking like this may be the case as the game moved towards the half-time interval.
It wasn’t until the 35th minute that Edwin Van Der Sar had to make his first save, and it was a top class one at that. Drogba’s header across goal was almost knocked into his own net by Ferdinand under pressure from Ballack. Van der Sar kept it out and immediately United were on the counter attack. It was Cech’s time to shine. Wayne Rooney released Ronaldo on the left with a fantastic ball, and his cross was met by Tevez just 8 yards from goal. Cech managed to get down well to prevent a Utd second, before getting up and making a fantastic save from Carrick’s follow-up effort.
In the 42nd minute, Tevez was a stud’s length away from making it 2-0. Rooney played a perfectly placed low cross into the area, only for Tevez to make minimal contact with his outstretched boot.
As it looked as though the first period would end with United 1-0 up, Chelsea scored. There was an element of luck involved, as Essien’s shot from way out took a deflection off Vidic AND Ferdinand before reaching the advancing Lampard - who slots it home coolly. Lampard points upwards, and replays show him saying “that’s for you mum”. An emotional dedication to his mother - who I’m sure would have been so proud.
The last action of the half saw Claude Makelele get involved in a silly, needless argument after Carvalho received a booking for a bad challenge on Ronaldo. Makelele was walking a fine line after being carded earlier in the half.
Half-time arrived and a chance to reflect on what had been a fantastic 45 minutes of open football. Despite United dominating the early play, Chelsea had more than matched Ferguson’s team in the final 15 minutes. Game on…..
With the second-half under way, Chelsea had started the stronger of the two teams. In the 55th minute Michael Essien charges his way towards the United box (something he did not do in the first-half), before taking too long making the decision to shoot. The result was an awful left-footed effort that flew well over the bar. Edwin van der Sar had slipped, and if Essien had got his shot on target there was an open goal waiting.
Two minutes later, and Vidic rescued Utd with a clearing header from Malouda’s cross. The resultant corner was headed over the bar by Drogba under pressure from United’s defence.
Chelsea dominated for the following ten minutes or so. Shot after shot flying towards van der Sar’s goal. United were being pushed further and further back under constant pressure. With fifteen minutes remaining of normal time, and players from both sides suffering from cramp on the spongy pitch, Drogba produced a moment of magic that fully deserved to go in. It didn’t however, instead the ball smashed against the right-hand post.
With under ten minutes left, Ryan Giggs replaced Paul Scholes to make his record-breaking 759th appearance in the famous red shirt - breaking Sir Bobby Charlton’s record.
Extra-time had looked likely for the last ten minutes of normal time. So, nobody was that surprised to see the score level at 90 minutes. Another 30 minutes to find a winner, despite it now being 1am local time. Just four minutes into the first period of extra-time, and Lampard swivelled in the box before thumping a left-footed effort onto the United bar with van der Sar beaten. The second time Chelsea had hit the United word-work.
With just 4 mins left on the clock, Drogba got himself sent off for a petulant slap around Vidic’s face directly in the view of the ref. A brawl ensued, and seemed to have come from nothing in particlar. Drogba is shown a straight red - and surely he was due to take a penalty?
Penalty shoot-outs seem such a harsh way for a club to lose a match of such stature, but as extra-time came to a close, and neither team able to add to their first-half score, penalties it was to be.
The first 4 penalties were coolly slotted home to leave the score 2-2. Up steps arguably the best player in the world, who misses. Ronaldo looked devastated. With no more misses, it was left to John Terry to take the decisive penalty. The England defender may have looked calm, but inside I’m sure his nerves were eating into him. As he approached the ball and hit it with his right foot, his standing foot slipped from underneath him. The result was the ball hitting the outside of the post and heartbreak for Terry and Chelsea. 4-4, and the shoot-out moved into sudden death. The next two went in, and United scored their next. The responsibility fell to substitute Anelka, and his attempt was saved by van der Sar. United win 6-5 on penalties.
Ronaldo breaks down in tears of relief on the pitch, while the Chelsea team are inconsolable. It’s difficult to put into words the drama that unfolded in Moscow tonight. The match was a fantastic advert for the Premier League, and will be remembered for a long time. The first all English final provides a night of gripping, enthralling, end-to-end drama. It’s just a shame that it had to end in such a way.
I’m not sure that the best team won on the night. But, United deserved their win. Why? Because they scored more penalty kicks than Chelsea, simple as that! Football is all about scoring. It was United’s night, it was their time. I’m certain Chelsea will have their time soon. Unfortunately, tonight it just wasn’t meant to be.
