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Manchester United paints Moscow red

Penalty blues for Chelsea in its maiden Champions League final

— Photos: Agencies.

Ecstasy and agony: Manchester United players pose with the trophy won, thanks to a brilliant save by goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar in the climactic shoot-out leaving Chelsea’s Ballack, Drogba (who was shown the red card) and Terry in tears.

MOSCOW: Edwin van der Sar saved the 14th penalty of the shootout on Wednesday to give Manchester United a 6-5 win over Chelsea after a 1-1 draw in the first all-English Champions League final.

Van der Sar dived to his right to block the spot kick from Nicolas Anelka in rain at the Luzhniki Stadium to give the Red Devils their third European Cup title — 10 days after United edged Chelsea to win the Premier League title.

Breaking through!

“That’s the first penalty shootout I’ve ever won,” said United manager Alex Ferguson, who took his haul of titles with the club to 22 in as many seasons since he joined in September 1986. “I lost three with Aberdeen and three with United so it’s seventh time lucky.”

In a final that included a red card and all the flare-ups usually associated with meetings between English powerhouses, Cristiano Ronaldo put United ahead in the 26th minute. Frank Lampard equalised in the final minute of the first half.

In extra time, Chelsea hit the post and the bar before goalkeeper Petr Cech saved Ronaldo’s penalty in the shootout. But Blues captain John Terry, stepping up for a chance to win the title, slipped and hit the right post.

“I was thinking he’s going to score,” Rio Ferdinand said of Terry, his defensive teammate on the England squad. “He’s a great penalty taker normally but he slipped. Unfortunately someone’s got to lose and tonight it’s them.”

Anderson and Ryan Giggs — making a club record 759th appearance to surpass Bobby Charlton — then hit the target for United.

Drogba sent off

Chelsea finished the game with 10 men after Didier Drogba was sent off in the 116th minute for petulantly tapping Nemanja Vidic in the face with his hand.

Carlos Tevez, Michael Carrick, Owen Hargreaves and Nani scored United’s other kicks, while Michael Ballack, Juliano Belletti, Lampard, Ashley Cole and Salomon Kalou scored for Chelsea. “Twelve years ago I lost on penalties and we’ve won it now,” said Van der Sar, who won the title with Ajax in 1995 but lost in a shootout to Juventus a year later. “It’s unbelievable. We deserve it. It’s fantastic.”

While his teammates ran to congratulate Van der Sar in front of the United fans behind the goal, Ronaldo lay face down in the centre circle. Eventually he got up to join in the celebrations.

In tears

By contrast, Terry was in tears at the end and was hugged and consoled by coach Avram Grant, who appeared to throw his runner-up medal into the Chelsea crowd.

“He is very sad and he cried, but he is the main reason we are here,” Grant said. “It was not a normal season. He took responsibility today to take the last penalty.”

Ferguson won his second European Cup in the year of the 50th anniversary of the Munich air disaster that killed eight United players. “When we missed the penalty kick (from Ronaldo) we thought we were in trouble but I thought we deserved the win,” said Ferguson.

“We had the best chances. In the second half they had more control but in extra time we were better. It’s a fantastic achievement.”

Grant, who has led the team to three runner-up positions in his first season, said this was harder to take than losing to Tottenham in the League Cup final and being second in the Premier League.

“It’s very hard to lose on penalties,” the former Israel coach said after the Blues’ narrow loss in their maiden final appearance. — AP

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