AC Milan 3 - 0 Manchester United

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Wednesday May 02 2007 07:45

AC Milan denied Manchester United a dream Champions League final meeting with Liverpool as they cruised to a 3-0 semi-final second leg victory.

Sir Alex Ferguson's side produced a subdued performance in which they started slowly and threw away their first-leg 3-2 advantage.

Throughout the entire 90 minutes they also never looked like breaching Milan's experienced rearguard.

Kaka tormented United in the first meeting at Old Trafford and the Brazil playmaker was again at the heart of all the home side's attacking moves as they roared out of the starting blocks.Nemanja Vidic returned from the broken collarbone which had kept him sidelined since March, but in truth he struggled to cope with Kaka, who fired Milan into a deserved 11th minute lead.Clarence Seedorf twisted his body to divert a long ball into the path of Kaka, who drilled a low shot into the bottom corner of the net with his left foot from the edge of the penalty area.Ryan Giggs tested Dida with a low shot from 20 yards, but Milan went 2-0 ahead on the half-hour mark when the impressive Seedorf turned from provider to goalscorer.Gabriel Heinze and Vidic combined to create the opening with some sloppy defensive display and, when the ball eventually came out to Seedorf on the edge of the penalty area, he rode the challenge of the Serbian defender and also Darren Fletcher before lashing a low volley beyond Edwin Van der Sar.

After the break, United continued in the same manner as they were sloppy in possession and nervous in defence.Filippo Inzaghi and Kaka both had chances to kill off the tie, before Fletcher sliced United's best chance of the night wide after he was teed up by Wayne Rooney from 18 yards.

Ferguson sent on Louis Saha in a bid to open up the home defence, but Milan soaked up the pressure with the energetic Gennaro Gattuso dominant in midfield before they then launched a decisive counter-attack for the third goal.

Vidic and Wes Brown were caught too far up field in the 79th minute and substitute Alberto Gilardino strolled through the middle before picking his spot past Van der Sar.

With it, Milan killed off any hope of a second-half United comeback and set up a repeat of the 2005 final when they lost out to Liverpool in a dramatic tie settled on penalty kicks.

Live Commentary

90
FULL-TIME: AC MILAN 3-0 MAN UTD (aggregate 5-3)

90
Fletcher launches a hopeful high ball into the box but Dida shows safe hands to claim under pressure from Rooney to the delight of the San Siro crowd

90
Three minutes of stoppage time will be added

89
Milan have played well within themselves tonight, but they haven't had to be outstanding as United came out of the blocks slowly and have never really improved

87
Whistles ring around the San Siro as United control possession in the final minutes without really managing to threaten

86
Giuseppe Favalli comes on for Kaka who receives a standing ovation

85
Time is running out for United who still need to score twice to take the tie into extra-time - but in truth that is unlikely as they have been poor tonight

85
Gattuso now heads off and Cafu comes on for AC Milan

84
Ronaldo follows suit as he lunges in needlessly as the match turns a little tetchy

83
Gattuso is booked for aiming a tirade at Scholes who refuses to kick the ball out of play with a player down

81
Rooney dances down the right and crosses but Giggs' volley is well wide

80
The Milan players are dropping like flies now as time ticks away but in truth it doesn't matter as United have been outclassed and outplayed here tonight

78
AC MILAN 3-0 MAN UTD: GILARDINO wraps up the match with a simple goal as he strolls down the middle and picks his spot past Van der Sar - Milan are on their way to the Champions League final now

77
Saha does indeed come on with O'Shea making way

76
Gattuso goes down with an injury and Henize screams at the midfielder to get to his feet as the referee stops play

75
Ambrosini is the first name in the book for a foul in the Milan half on Carrick

73
Ronaldo tries a cheeky angled shot from the corner of the box as the referee waves play on after a foul on Rooney but it drifts harmlessly wide

71
The ball drops to Kaka on the edge of the box but his low shot is blocked out for a corner with Van der Sar totally wrong-footed

70
Carrick shifts the ball on to his left foot 20 yards from goal but again a wall of red and black shirts are there to snuff out the shot

68
Ronaldo continues his below-par night with a dreadful first touch in the centre circle which brings to an end a United break

66
Alberto Gilardino replaces the tiring Inzaghi

65
United are building a head of steam now but do they have enough quality on the night to open up Milan?

64
Rooney turns brilliantly on the edge of the six-yard box but his stabbed effort goes untouched across the face of goal and away from the danger zone

63
Fletcher has a golden chance to drag United back into the match as Rooney slides him in on the edge of the penalty area but he slices a poor shot wide

62
Louis Saha is warming up for United and it can't be long before Ferguson starts to make changes with his side chasing the game

60
Pirlo looks for the surprise long ball over the top but Inzaghi has strayed offside and the flag goes up

59
Gattuso is lucky to escape a caution as he brings down Ronaldo on the left edge of the box - his foul count must be in double figures already tonight

56
Ronaldo then tries one of his usual swerving free-kicks from 25 yards but Gattuso is out like a flash to block the effort

55
Ronaldo tries his luck from the edge of the box but his low shot is blocked as two Milan defenders throw themselves in the way

54
Van der Sar saves United with a superb dive at full-stretch from Kaka after the Brazilian strolls past Vidic like he's not ever there

53
United continue to look subdued here in what is a really disappointing performance so far

51
O'Shea lofts in an aimless cross which is easy for the keeper as United continue to lack any guile in the final third

49
Carrick under-hits a couple of early passes as United start the second half like they finished the first - in sloppy fashion

47
Pirlo side-foots a 30-yard free-kick over the top in the first meaningful effort of the second period

46
United kick-off the second half knowing they need to score at least twice if they are to reach the final

45
HALF-TIME: AC MILAN 2-0 MAN UTD

45
One minute of stoppage time will be added to the first half

44
Rooney knocks Nesta to the ground with a powerful shot from 20 yards which crashes away off the head of the brave defender

43
Van der Sar and Vidic get in each other's as they defend a nothing pass into the box in comical style - Sir Alex Ferguson will have his work cut out in the half-time interval to sort this defensive display out!

42
Filippo Inzaghi drills a shot on the turn from ten yards just inches wide of the upright as Oddo is afforded acres of space down the right to pick out a cross - that was a huge let off for United

40
Pirlo lashes a 30-yard free-kick well over the top and that's about the first mistake Milan have made all night

39
It is no exaggeration to suggest United look like they could concede every time the ball goes into their box as Milan continue to dominate

37
Ronaldo takes a blow to the head from Dida as he clears a corner but brushes off the problem and is okay to continue

35
Ambrosini executes a perfect tackle to win the ball off the advancing Fletcher as Milan show the hesitant visitors how to defend

33
Rooney looks for Giggs with a reverse pass but United just aren't on the same wavelength here and a good chance goes begging

32
United face an uphill battle if they are to reach the final now and they only have themselves to blame after a really poor opening 30 minutes

30
AC MILAN 2-0 MAN UTD: Heinze and United are punished for some woeful defending as SEEDORF lashes home a volley at the second attempt from the edge of the box to double the advantage

29
Massimo Ambrosini brings down Ronaldo as he looks to dart through the midfield area and is perhaps lucky to escape a caution

27
Kaka drills in another dangerous cross but O'Shea is alive to the danger and flicks it away on the back post

26
For the second time in as many minutes the referee penalises Rooney in an aerial challenge with Alessandro Nesta

24
Milan are playing some mesmerising football as they keep possession in the midfield area and every time they reach the final third they look menacing

22
Darren Fletcher does well to pounce on a loose pass out of defence and earn a corner as United show signs of improving here

20
Ryan Giggs tests Dida with a low drive from 20 yards destined to find the bottom corner of the net - that's better from United after a below-par start

19
Rooney creates space for a cross and finds the head of Paul Scholes but the little midfielder is flagged offside as he nods the ball over the bar

17
Andrea Pirlo tries his luck from distance but the diving Van der Sar is confident his angled shot from 25 yards is drifting wide

16
Gattuso snaps in at the heels of first Ronaldo and then Gabriel Heinze to the delight of the home fans as Milan continue to hold the upper hand

14
Wayne Rooney gives the ball away twice in quick succession as United continue to be sloppy in possession

13
United win a corner as they threaten for the first time in the game through John O'Shea down the right but the flag-kick comes to nothing

11
AC MILAN 1-0 MAN UTD: The home side cap a superb start as Seedorf heads on a lofted ball into the path of KAKA who drills an unstoppable low shot into the corner of the net

9
It's all Milan in the opening minutes here as United look nervous and hesitant all over the pitch

7
Massimo Oddo is allowed time to pick out a cross but Kaka's low volley from 15 yards is easy for Van der Sar who again gesticulates wildly at his defence

5
Van der Sar is screaming encouragement to his team-mates after a nervy start by the United defence

4
Edwin Van der Sar saves United as he gets his finger-tips to Clarence Seedorf's piledriver from the edge of the box - the ball deflected up and behind off the crossbar for a corner

2
Kaka drives past Vidic down the inside left channel and drills a low cross-shot wide as United receive an early let off

1
AC Milan get the game under way as the rain continues to tumble down heavily

0
It's typical Manchester weather in Milan as the rain continues to tumble down and will certainly create a slick surface

0
Gennaro Gattuso returns for Milan, but captain Paolo Maldini has failed to recover from the knee injury picked up at Old Trafford last week

0
Rio Ferdinand is on the bench after his recent groin problems, while Louis Saha has got over his hamstring injury and is also among the substitutes

0
United lead 3-2 from the first leg and have been boosted by the return of Nemanja Vidic from the broken collarbone which has sidelined him since March

0
AC Milan host Manchester United in the second leg of their Champions League semi-final at the San Siro tonight

Statistics

AC Milan

Shots on target	7
Shots off target	5
Shots off bar/post	0
Fouls	11
Offsides	1
Corners	4

Manchester United

Shots on target	2
Shots off target	10
Shots off bar/post	0
Fouls	19
Offsides	2
Corners	5

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