Manchester United King of Europe

Yes Yes...Manchester United has done it!!!!

After the domestic league title, we are now the King of Europe!!!!!!

You may call it Lady Luck but Manchester United beat Chelsea 6-5 in a rain-soaked penalty shootout to win the European Champions League title Wednesday night following a 1-1 tie.

In the first final between two English teams, Edwin van der Sar batted away Nicolas Anelka's drive on the 14th kick to give Manchester United its third Champions League title, following titles in 1968 and 1999.

Just a review of the match...

It all started with the players coming out of the tunnel and there the Cup was exposed...


In the first 25 minutes, Chelsea stifled United's efforts to create moves and the action got stuck in the midfield. In this time Scholes suffered a knock from Makelele and was bleeding.

He was taken off for treatment and as he returned on the pitch, combined with Brown who setup a beautiful cross and Ronaldo, poorly marked by Essien headed it into the net leaving Cech watching in despair.

Chelsea's somewhat muted response almost brought them an equaliser in the 33rd minute when Lampard's cross was headed back into the six-yard box by Didier Drogba.

United's Rio Ferdinand, under pressure from Michael Ballack, was forced to head the ball towards his own goal and only a superb save from Van der Sar prevented a Chelsea equaliser.

Wayne Rooney delivered an inch-perfect 40-yard crossfield ball into the path of the ever-dangerous Ronaldo and the United goalscorer placed his cross on the head of the diving Tevez only for Cech to deny him.

Chelsea's failure to clear the loose ball gave Michael Carrick the chance to reward their superb approach work but again Cech was equal to the task with another fine save.

The Blues began to grow in confidence as the first half approached its climax and in the 45th minute, they took advantage of a massive slice of luck to level the score.

Michael Essien's attempted shot from 25-yards took two deflections on its way towards goal but the most telling was off the back of United captain Ferdinand.

It changed the direction of the ball into the path of Lampard, who duly supplied the finish from six yards.

In the 77th minute, United had the woodwork to thank when Drogba sent a 20-yard shot against Van der Sar's left-hand upright.

Ryan Giggs was introduced in place of Scholes at the end of the 90 minutes for the Welshman to make a record 759th appearance for the Red Devils.

The 90 minutes ended and it was time for extra time. Lampard hit the crossbar in the fourth minute of injury time with a left-footed shot from 15 yards.

Chelsea were almost made to pay dearly eight minutes later when Giggs nearly broke the tie in the 100th only for Terry to deflect the shot with his head.

Drogba was then sensationally sent off for slapping Nemanja Vidic as tempers flared on both sides.

The extratime ended and it was time for the lottery of penalties.

Tevez step first to take the kick and scored. Then Ballack scored for Chelsea to make it 1-1.

Carrick scored and restored Man Utd lead only for Belletti to score and make it 2-2.

Ronaldo was the third to step up and shoot. He slowed down hoping Cech would move but the keeper did not move an inch and as Ronaldo shoots, Cech was able to folllow and save the kick, leaving Ronaldo in despair.

Lampard then scored to make it 3-2 for Chelsea with 3 penalties taken. Hargreaves scored to make it 3-3 only for A.Cole to score and make it 4-3.

It was the last penalty to be taken for Man Utd and Nani stepped forward to take it. A miss would ensure Chelsea the kick. Nani did score to make it 4-4 but Cech was not far away from saving it.
I almost cried when i saw Cech flying the same way as the ball was going.

Chelsea's last penalty was to be taken by Captain Terry, and as he stepped forward, I woke up to go to bed.
But luck was on the side of Man Utd again as Terry slipped and hit the post while Van Der Sar dived the over way.


So it was all equal and a player from each team was needed to take the penalty.

Anderson stepped forward and shot right in the middle with Cech diving to his left giving Man Utd an advantage.
Kalou scored to make it 5-5.

Giggs was the 7th United player to take the penalty and as he scored i had the feeling whoever will be next he is going to miss.
Anelka took it, with Van Der Sar diving correctly to his right and he saved it....i cried in joy as all the players run towards Van Der Sar leaving Ronaldo on the ground in the middle of the pitch.


It was time for celebrations for Man Utd fans, players, staff, owners..etc! And time for Chelsea fans to cry..


I am proud of being a fan of Manchester United! We are the best forever and ever!!!!!!!!!!!

Champions League 2007/2008 Final - Man Utd/Chelsea

The final is scheduled to be played at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow on 21 May 2008, 19:45 BST where Manchester United will play against Chelsea, making it an all-English club final for the first time in the history of the European Cup.

2007–08 marks the first season in the competition’s history that four teams from the same country have reached the quarter-final stage, following the progression of Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester United into the final stages.

Chelsea reached the Champions League final for the first time in their history.

For the first time in Champions League history, none of the English teams were eliminated by a non-English team. Arsenal were eliminated by Liverpool, who were eliminated by Chelsea, who will now face Manchester United in the final.

The final between Chelsea and Manchester United is the first all-English final in the history of the European Cup and the third final between two teams from the same country. The others were in 2000(Real Madrid v Valencia, Real Madrid won 3-0 in Paris) and 2003(Juventus v AC Milan, AC Milan won in the penalty shoot-out in Old Trafford, Manchester).

There may still be more than 48 hours to go until the 2007/08 UEFA Champions League final gets under way at the Luzhniki Stadium but excitement in Moscow is already fast approaching fever pitch as the city welcomes the European Champion Clubs' Cup showpiece for the first time.

Forty years after Manchester United FC first lifted the European Champion Clubs' Cup, Sir Alex Ferguson has taken the English giants to the brink of a third triumph thanks to an unbeaten campaign that has been founded on defensive solidity and the brilliance of Cristiano Ronaldo.

Cristiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney and Carlos Tévez may catch the eye with their glittering attacking talent, but the likes of Giggs and Scholes as the reserves of experience within United's squad are just as priceless. Without mining that rich seam of knowledge, Sir Alex Ferguson would be unable to fire a challenge for glory which culminates in Wednesday's UEFA Champions League final against Chelsea FC.

Manager Avram Grant's first priority will be to make sure captain John Terry and striker Didier Drogba are fit. Terry dislocated his elbow against Bolton while Ivorian Drogba suffered a knee injury.

As if the memory of losing a UEFA Champions League final were not painful enough, Ashley Cole is offered regular reminders of that dramatic night two years ago by one of his own team-mates. Then at Arsenal FC, Cole was 14 minutes away from claiming

Europe's top club prize when Samuel Eto'o struck FC Barcelona's equaliser. The dream quickly transformed into a nightmare when, five minutes later, Juliano Belletti crashed in the winner.

Cole and Belletti have since become team-mates at Stamford Bridge, and as Wednesday's showdown with Manchester United FC grows nearer, the subject of the 2005/06 final has been frequently aired on the Chelsea FC training ground.

United may have an extra spring in their step entering the Luzhniki Stadium, but Chelsea were the last side to beat them, at Stamford Bridge on 26 April.

Slovakia's Ľuboš Micheľ will referee the UEFA Champions League final and will be assisted by countrymen Roman Slysko (34) and Martin Balko (36) with another Slovakian, Vladimir Hrinak, acting as the fourth official.

Possible line up would be:

Man Utd: Van der Sar, Brown, Vidic, Ferdinand(c), Evra, Carrick, Ronaldo, Scholes, Hargreaves, Tevez, Rooney.

Chelsea: Cech, Essien, Terry(c), Carvalho, A.Cole, Ballack, Makele, Lampard, J.Cole, Malouda, Drogba

Whether you are a fan of Man Utd or Chelsea or any other team do leave your comments about the match, your predictions and what preparations you have done to watch the match. In other words, share with us whatever you want about this unique final.