AC Milan 3 - 0 United (agg 5-3)
Kaka (10) Seedorf (29 ) Gilardino (77)
Dreams of a United Treble are no more.
Sir Alex’s men were crushed at the San Siro by a rampant Milan side that was very good value for its win. In truth, the Italians beat United like errant schoolboys and could have rattled up a five or six goal margin.United were as poor as Milan were, in patches, brilliant. Sir Alex’s team delivered a standard European United away performance and typically lost. Benfica and Lille might have been rare wins on the road for the Reds but on Milanese home soil, United’s blunders were punished ruthlessly.
There is no disgrace in losing to a better team which on the night hit peaks of attacking perfection, was defensively resilient and monstered United in midfield from the very start.
But Sir Alex will be disappointed by the overall sloppiness of his side and staggered by the ease at which it conceded possession to opponents whose use of the ball was often breathtaking. Was it tiredness?
The manager will recognise too that his normally free-scoring team contrived just one chance of note in 90 minutes. The defence had another night to forget, with Heinze and O’Shea frequently caught out of position. United’s midfield trio were unable to engineer a way past their dominant Milan counterparts for much of the game, whilst Cristiano Ronaldo performed in such a subdued manner that Irish television pundit Eamon Dunphy must have smiled knowingly.
United began the match knowing that they would contest the final against Liverpool if they could avoid defeat. With that in mind, Sir Alex plucked Nemanja Vidic from the physiotherapist’s table and placed him alongside Wes Brown in the heart of United’s defence. Milan were thus invited to go straight for United’s jugular. To their credit, they did so thrillingly.
Milan sliced through United’s rearguard before a minute had been played to give warning of the torrent to come. Kaka, reprising his Old Trafford role of arch tormentor, was the man to cause havoc in the United defence and ran past the ailing Vidic like a dog chasing a bone attached to a kite. United were relieved that his pass across the box failed to find a team mate.
A minute later, Clarence Seedorf tested the refelexes of veteran compatriot Edwin Van der Sar, who tipped over a fierce drive from the Milan midfielder.
United were caught cold. Two minutes had passed and Sir Alex’s nerves like those of the fans were jangling. In the 10th minute, United went a goal behind when direct and clever forward play outwitted a flat footed, ball watching United defence and invited the centrally positioned Kaka to shoot at the United goal from just inside the box. The Brazilian buried his shot low to Van Der Sar’s left.
The game was set up for another famous United comeback but this time, United were running on empty. Sir Alex’s men could do little to hold back the Italian tide. A Scholes snap header that sailed over the bar and a Giggs half chance were all United could offer in reply before Milan went two goals ahead.
On 29 minutes, some unnecessary skylarking in United’s defence involving Heinze and a Vidic mistake, allowed the Italians to gain possesion in the United box. Seedorf was quickly found just beyond the penalty spot and the midfielder managed to sidestep two depserate lunges before finding the net with an expertly struck shot to Van Der Sar’s left.
Milan were as cock a hoop as United were shell-shocked. The returning Inzaghi nearly added to United’s woes on 40 minutes but was the weakest leak in a flowing Milan move and watched an excellent chance go begging.
United returned for the second half and continued to perform as poorly as in the first 45 minutes. The away side’s passing was poor and their attacking construction lacked accuracy and imagination. Ronaldo and Giggs could make no impact on the game and with Rooney asked to plough a lone fiurrow in attack, United enjoyed possession but were rarely dangerous.
Milan allowed United to gradually find their feet in the game and the visitors should have made the Italians pay on 62 minutes. At last, United put together a fluent attack and found Fletcher in some space on the right but the midfielder, under challenge, shot well wide.
United brought on the ineffectual Saha to add more forward potency but disastrously conceded a third goal in the 77th minute when a Milan through ball found unmarked substitute Gilardino running though towards goal. He slotted home with ease.
Cue Milanese celebration. Sir Alex and his disconsolate trooops were left clinging to domestic ambitions, their Athens dreams dashed.
TEAM
United: Van Der Sar; Heinze; Vidic; O’Shea (Saha 76); Brown; Scholes; Giggs; Fletcher; Carrick; Rooney; Ronaldo
Subs: Kuszczak, Ferdinand, Richardson, Eagles, Smith, Solskjaer
Post Script
Sir Alex: “We never got out of the blocks and Milan were physically stronger than us. We didn’t cope with the start. The pressure was on us and we needed to keep possession to keep the crowd quiet, but we had trouble doing that.
“We lost two goals very cheaply, and you have to defend better in those situations. Milan put up a fantastic performance and were much fresher than us. We needed to see through the first 25 minutes without cutting our throats.
“Credit to them, they pressed us really well and were very well prepared. They were certainly sharper and quicker to the ball. They’ve been good winners.
“But we have been using the same players for weeks now, while Milan have been resting players at the appropriate times. We had a gruelling test at Everton last Saturday (coming back from 2-0 down to win 4-2) and it’s not easy, but I still expect more from my team. We will take it on the chin and see where we go from here.”
Carlo Ancelotti: “We were convinced that we were going to play a great match and we did that. We played a great first half at a high level, and that set up the result. It was the best first half I’ve seen since I have been coach here. It was perfect.”
