In a tense but pulsating final in Moscow, Manchester United beat Chelsea 6-5 on penalties. The match had ended 1-1 after 120 minutes with Frank Lampard’s goal on the stroke of half time canceling Ronaldo’s headed goal earlier in the first half. After United dominated the first half only to be played off the park by Chelsea in the second, the match went to extra time. And after an incredible clearance by John Terry to deny Ryan Giggs and an moment of sheer lunacy on the part of Drogba which resulted in him getting sent off, the match went to penalties.

After Ronaldo’s miss and 8 successful spot kicks, it all came down to “Mr. Chelsea” himself- John Terry stepped up to take the final penalty knowing that Chelsea would win if he scored. What happened next would remain etched in the minds of fans everywhere, Terry lost his footing and ended up missing the penalty despite sending Van Der Saar the wrong way. Unbelievable stuff. And in sudden death, it was Nicolas Anelka who saw his spot kick saved by Van Der Saar to give the title to Manchester United. Their third European title overall and their first since 1999. A particularly memorable achievement considering this came on the 50th anniversary of the Munich air crash.

Full credit to Chelsea:

Chelsea’s season could have been so much more different today morning if either Drogba or Lampard had managed to score instead of hitting the woodwork. It probably would have been different if Drogba had not got sent off (a la Zidane in the 2006 final) but credit where its due, Chelsea had resurrected their season brilliantly. Avram Grant looks as clueless as ever on the pitch but his half time talk did have a positive effect. The team will see a lot of changes in the off season with players such as Drogba, Lampard, Carvalho all expected to leave. Whether Roman Abrahamovich will continue to spend money to get new players remains to be seen.

Best team in Europe

Much like Barcelona in 2006, this season has seen Manchester United dominate both domestically and in Europe. The team has played some attacking football with Ferguson using the 4-3-3 formation to great effect. Obviously, all the credit will go to Ronaldo, who with Tevez and Rooney contributed most of United’s goals. However, the success of the squad also has a lot to do with the incredible back four. The duo of Ferdinand and Vidic in the centre, the much improved Wes Brown on the right and the brilliant Patrice Evra at left back. Ferguson has added another trophy to the 31 accumulated in his career and watching him jump about in the rain, it was obvious that he will be in charge at Old Trafford for some time to come.

Posted by Z on Wednesday, May 21st, 2008 at 11:28 pm.