Like many of you I was out celebrating the moment Edwin Van der Sar denied Nicolas Anelka’s PK! And therefore I didn’t write such a detailed review. Like all of you I was on the edge of my seat with my heart pounding and having trouble watching the dreadful penalty shootout.
Cristiano opened the score line in the 26th minute with a perfectly placed header from Wes Brown’s cross. Carlos Tevez had not one but two great opportunities to put United up 2-0 but was denied by Peter Cech. Carrick also had a great chance immediately following the first Tevez opportunity. The lead was short lived because Lampard leveled the score line in the closing seconds of the first half.
The second half was a disaster for United, as they failed to really create anything. The second half was all Chelsea and United were very lucky to walk away with a scoreless half. Considering Chelsea struck the post once and had 10 more shots then United. A heart stopping wonder strike by Didier Drogba in the 78th minute rattled the post, how he got such a good shot off is beyond me, he was surrounded by United defenders, off balance and 20 yards out.
90 minutes couldn’t decide a winner and the game was sent into extra time. Chelsea struck first, Lampard hit the underside of the crossbar with a left-footed shot from only 10 yards. But at the other end just 7 minutes later Giggs almost had the fairytale goal! Evra supplied a perfect ball for Giggs just outside the 6, but Giggs struck it with the outside of his left foot instead of using the more logical inside of his right and the ball went over the bar.
In the second half of extra time we would see a turning point in moral for the teams. After getting himself into an altercation with Vidic, Drogba acted foolishly and struck Vidic across the face directly in front of the referee and after some pushing and shoving between the two teams Drogba was shown a straight red card for aggression which is punishable by expulsion. With the closing minutes of the second half of extra time and the penalty shootout a certainty both managers made their final substitutions.
First up was Tevez for United, Goal
Ballack, Goal
1-1
Carrick, Goal
Belletti, Goal
2-2
Ronaldo, Miss!
Lampard, Goal
2-3
Nani, Goal
A. Cole, Goal
3-4
Hargreaves, Goal
Terry, MISS!!
4-4
Anderson, Goal
Kalou, Goal
5-5
Giggs, Goal
Anelka, MISS!!!!!
MANCHESTER WIN THE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
