Champions League (Round of 16) Edition of Match Centre: AC Milan 2 - 3 Manchester United

Well this game certainly lived up to all the hype around it. Milan started and ended the match playing like the best team in the world, but United have completed a job well done. Like true professionals, United played to their strengths and reaped the rewards. Ronaldinho’s deflected volley broke the deadlock early on in the 3rd minute, and from then we all knew this match was sure to be a cracker. Milan went on to dominate early on, but Paul Scholes equalized with the luckiest goal he will ever score in the 36th minute. Ronaldinho and Rooney stole the show, but Beckham also had a solid performance.

We went into halftime all square, but United took the initiative in the second half as Wayne Rooney put his side on top with two world-class headers. Clarence Seedorf pulled his side back with five minutes left to play in regulation with a spectacular backheel from close range, but United are a goal up on aggregate going into the return leg at Old Trafford.  I’m going to go out on a limb by saying that game one won’t finish nil-nil…

By the way, Real Madrid will be disappointed as they head back to Spain as Lyon did well to defeat Manuel Pellegrino’s squad 1-0 at Stade Gerland. Jean Makoun scored a world-class goal from 25 yards out that just curled past a diving Iker Casillas. Champions League, we’ve missed you.

Full Time.

90+3º Michael Carrick is shown his second yellow, and he’s off a minute to the dressing room a minute early. The replay shows that Evra committed the foul on Pato, but Carrick will miss the return leg. Hopefully UEFA will sort that one out. Actually he may have been booked for kicking the ball away after the foul, but that would have been a bit harsh.

90+2º Wes Brown now coming on for Rafael, surely to waste some time to close the game out.

90+1º Another great Milan chance as Thiago Silva’s free header goes wide of the mark.

90º That was the chance, that simply had to be! Bonera plays a super ball in to Ronaldinho, who nods it down to Ambrosini. Ambrosini takes a touch when he could have so easily just smacked it into the net from 7 yards out. But the Italian wastes a glorious chance.

86º Pippo Inzaghi just misses the chance to put Milan level as his first time effort goes a yard or two over the top corner. Ronaldinho played him in very well. Milan throwing everything forward now!

85º Goal!!! AC Milan 2 - 3 Manchester United!! I think we may have just seen a goal of the candidate! Ronaldinho pokes it through to Seedorf, flicks it into the United net with his backheel. San Siro erupts! Game on.

84º Rooney with the a free-kick from 35 yards out that isn’t half bad actually. It curls a yard wide of Dida’s far post.

82º What a ball from Valencia! Firing it across the six yard box, Rooney should have probably connected for his hat-trick. And he knows it.

80º Milan players now looking absolutely disgusted. They have played some brilliant football tonight and must be wondering where it all went wrong. Ronaldinho tries a spectacular bicycle kick, but misses the ball entirely, nearly kicking Rafael.

77º Klaas-Jan Huntelaar is subbed off for Pippo Inzaghi. Yet another Champions League legend on the pitch.

74º Goal!!! AC Milan 1 - 3 Manchester United!!! Another super, super header from Wayne Rooney. A masterful little cross from Darren Fletcher that catches the Milan defence totally off-guard. You can now hear the ecstatic traveling United supporters.

73º Rooney could have put the dagger into this tie as he has another effort that just goes wide.

72º Milan Substitution: Clarence Seedorf comes on to replace David Beckham. One living legend on for another.

69º So I know I compared Milan’s performance to Barcelona’s in the Champions League final, but dare I say that Rooney’s goal was similar to THAT Lionel Messi header? It was almost a carbon copy. By the way, United have never won at San Siro. It’s a bit early to say that that statistic is done with. 20 solid minutes to go still…

65º Goal!!! AC Milan 1 - 2 Manchester United! And Wayne Rooney’s dreadful performance is forgotten just like that as he guides a super header back across goal to beat Dida. Valencia makes an immediate impact, as he provided the cross. Fergie, you look like a genius once again.

64º Rooney finds a little opening on a United counter, but his powerful shot is right at Dida. United substitution: Nani comes off for out-of-favour Antonio Valencia.

63º Michael Carrick gets a booking for taking down Ronaldinho from behind.

60º The chances are there, but Wayne, you need to take them. Rooney wastes another chance by scuffing his volley. Ronaldinho counters and forces Van der Sar to make a fingertip save at the far post.

58º Rooney’s shot is deflected out for a corner. Nothing results from the ensuing corner.

55º A current lack of inspiration from United’s attack, Rooney just looks frustrated. Speaking of frustration, Real Madrid have fallen behind 1-0 to Lyon as Jean Makoun hit a wonderful shot into the top corner of Casillas’ net. A STUNNER in all senses of the word.

52º Evans with a poor foul, a needless freekick to give away to Milan. Pirlo smacks it from 40 yards with a sensational effort that was destined for Van Der Sar’s top corner, but the United keep did well to get a hand to it.

50º “I’m glad we’re back in it, though Paul’s goal was a bit fortuitous. The start was a killer with the deflection, but we recovered after a bit. We’ll go for more, that’s the nature of the club, we won’t hold on to what we’ve got.” - Sir Alex Ferguson. They say fortune favours the bold, don’t they?

48º Pato with a free header, but he scuffs it wide. Leonardo gives his fellow Brazilian the thumbs up.

47º Nani lifts a lovely little ball to the back post, but Fletcher nods it wide from just two yards out.

And we’re back for the second half! Seems like either side can come out of this one on top!

45º Well we head to half-time I’m sure Sir Alex Ferguson will be happy to leave San Siro with the current scoreline. Milan have been miles better than United, but a bit of luck has put United on even terms. Manchester United have had a tough start in Italy, but they’re right back in this. Leonardo will not be happy with the amount of chances his side have wasted, and he’ll be expecting Pato to shape up. 1-1 as we go into the half. By the way, it’s scoreless at Stade Gerland between Lyon and Real Madrid at halftime.

43º Beckham takes it, but the curling effort goes a few yards over the net. Rooney gets booked for a bit of dissent.

42º Park fouls Ambrosini from 25 yards out. Who will it be to take? Beckham? Pirlo? Ronaldinho? Take your pick.

41º Ronaldinho knuckles a shot at Van der Sar. It’s an awkward one for the Dutchman, who does well to parry. Rafael bravely clears despite an onrushing Pato.

39º Suddenly it’s not all smiles in Milan. Advantage to United with the coveted away goal, and now United are playing with more confidence as Carrick tries a shot from 35 yards out. Decent effort that goes a bit wide.

36º GOAL!!! AC Milan 1 - 1 Manchester United! Paul Scholes with the luckiest of goals! How fortunate was that? Darren Fletcher crossed it in, but Scholes misses his right-footed volley entirely. However, the ball hits Scholes’ left shin and rolls into the far corner of Dida’s net. The shape of this game just changed QUITE a bit.

36º Nani runs to the referee, his fellow Portuguese compatriot, to complain that he was fouled in the box. Nothing given.

34º Oof! Just inches away. Huntelaar shrugs off Ferdinand and puts his effort JUST past Van Der Sar’s near post. United lucky to be just 1-0 down at the moment.

33º Rio knocks Ronaldinho corner out for another one, this time Beckham to take. Pato gets his head on the cross, but Evans clears.

32º Huntelaar strikes a volley wonderfully! But Evra gets his body in front of it and bravely knocks it out for a corner.

30º Nani with another poor service, and Rooney isn’t happy in the least. Don’t want to bring back any bad memories, but Milan is putting on a performance similar to what we all saw Barça do to United last May.

29º Milan settling in now with their lead. Ronaldinho with a superb ball to Pato, who was closed down well by Evans.

24º Pato goes down in a bit of pain. Looks like his achilles was knocked by Carrick. Van der Sar kicks the ball out, but Pato is just fine. Replay also shows that Rooney gave Bonera a proper English introduction with a few studs in the face.

22º Rooney is just a step behind Carrick’s through ball, but United are now taking more chances to push forward.

20º Free-kick to Milan from 35 yards out that Beckham curls in. Thiago Silva gets clattered into by Van Der Sar, but it’s all fair play. It has to be said that that was an excellent service from Beckham.

19º Rooney creates his first real opportunity with a left-footed effort that goes wide.

18º Ronaldinho looks like a was taken down in the box by Ferdinand after turning the England international inside-out, but nothing given.

17º Park does well to get himself into space does the left wing, but Bonera recovers and tackles the Korean superbly.

15º Nani with a decent cross, but no one made the run. Rooney yells at the Portuguese winger in frustration, but in all fairness, Nani has been United’s best player thus far.

14º Nani with a weak shot that goes straight to Dida.

13º Dida does terribly with the corner, dropping a cross that so clearly should have been his to hold on to. Milan clear, but Dida showing that he could be a liability for Milan.

12º Nani does well to break free down the flank, and forces Thiago Silva to concede a corner.

11º Super football from Milan. Antonini goes so close, but just drags his shot past Van Der Sar’s near post. Total football at the moment from Leonardo’s squadra.

10º Ronaldinho clashes with Nani, and Beckham kicks it out for a bit of fair play.

8º United looked completely shell-shocked. No one, and I mean no one, expected something like this so early on.

7º Another great chance for Milan! Do I even have to say from who? Ronaldinho collected a pass from Pato, but his close range effort fell right to Van Der Sar.

6º The replay shows that Evra probably should have cleared Beckham’s cross that led to the goal, but the Frenchman tried an awkward overhead kick.

5º Oh dear, Ronaldinho is putting on a show. Another superb skill. The San Siro has been set alight, and the Milan fans are simply screaming with jubilation. And don’t they have the right to?

3º GOAL!!! AC Milan 1 - 0 Manchester United! And Ronaldinho strikes! Well in truth it was deflected by Carrick, but David Beckham’s free-kick fell to the resurgent Brazilian. And this game seems like it is destined to be a flyer.

2º Ronaldinho already showing his class with a cheeky faux backheel. It’s Beckham and ‘dinho on the flanks for Milan tonight. That would intimidate any side.

1º And we’re off! Milan have history on their side, but Manchester United have been in great form and are a world-class side.

Pregame commentary: Well we have a mouth-watering occasion upon us! Both teams now walking us of the tunnel as the Champions League anthem rings throughout San Siro.

Also a bit of Europa League action going on today as Everton host Sporting Lisbon. Everton took a 2-0 lead at Goodison Park with goals from Sylvain Distin and Steven Pienaar before Miguel Veloso pulled one back in the closing minutes by converting a penalty that Distin (who was sent off) conceded. We all know just how much an away goal is worth in these competitions, a 2-1 scoreline certainly won’t provide any comfort for David Moyes. The second leg is next Thursday in Lisbon.

Well we certainly cannot ignore the other action going on in Lyon as Karim Benzema’s former side (hopefully) welcome him back to France, along with the rest of the star-studded Real Madrid side. We’ll keep you updated with everything going on in that game as well.

It seems like all of the focus is going on David Beckham and Wayne Rooney. It should be noted that Rooney has only scored one Champions League goal in his last 10 games. That being said, we’re all well aware of what England’s best striker is capable of, especially in his current form.

Line-ups:

AC Milan: Dida, Bonera, Nesta, Thiago Silva, Antonini, Beckham, Pirlo, Ambrosini, Ronaldinho, Alexandre Pato, Huntelaar.
Subs: Abbiati, Gattuso, Inzaghi, Seedorf, Flamini, Favalli, Abate.
Man Utd: Van der Sar, Rafael Da Silva, Ferdinand, Jonathan Evans, Evra, Nani, Carrick, Scholes, Fletcher, Park, Rooney.
Subs: Kuszczak, Neville, Brown, Owen, Berbatov, Valencia, Gibson.
Referee: Olegario Benquerenca (Portugal)

So David Beckham makes his first ever start against Manchester United seven years after leaving Old Trafford after being named in the AC Milan starting XI for the last-16 first-leg clash at the San Siro. Rio Ferdinand makes only his 10th club start of the season at the heart of the Manchester United defence, with Nani, serving a domestic ban, back in the side and Ji-Sung Park replacing the injured Ryan Giggs. Rafael is preferred to Wes Brown at right-back.