Manchester United came from behind to take a 3-2 advantage from the away leg of their Champions League second round against AC Milan.
United fell behind to Ronaldinho, and were then grateful to goalkeeper Edwin an der Sar for a series of fine saves, but they levelled before half-time through Paul Scholes.
Then Wayne Rooney, on the occasion of his 50th Champions League game, added two second-half headers to settle the game in United’s favour.
However, with five minutes remaining substitute Clarence Seedorf flicked in a Ronaldinho cross to give Milan some hope in the second leg. United also finished with 10 men as Michael Carrick was sent off in time added on for a second bookable offence.
In an enthralling encounter, the first goal came in only the third minute when Beckham’s free-kick was half cleared by Patrice Evra, falling to Ronaldinho just inside the box.
The Brazilian probably had time to take the ball down, but opted to volley, the ball flicking off Carrick and deflecting past Edwin van der Sar.
United lost 3-0 on their last visit to San Siro, and in the opening stages it seemed Milan could easily match that tally. Ronaldinho skipped around Rio Ferdinand and was denied only by a sharp save from Van der Sar, and then Luca Antonini, cutting through on the same left side, only to drag his shot a fraction wide.
Gradually United settled, and Rooney, feeding on a Park Ji-Sung pass, drove close.
But it was still Milan who looked the more threatening, twice in the space of a minute Klaas-Jan Huntelaar almost capitalised on Jonny Evans errors.
First Evans didn’t call, and allowed Ferdinand to try to clear a ball that was going over him.
His half-clearance feel to Huntelaar, whose effort deflected wide off Evra.
Then Evans lost possession cheaply and Huntelaar, striding on, brushed the outside of the post.
From nothing, though, United levelled eight minutes before the break. Darren Fletcher, making a fine overlapping run on the right, whipped in a fine cross. Scholes swung and missed, but the ball cannoned off his standing leg and dribbled into the corner.
Even before half-time, Ronaldinho went close again, slithering between Scholes and Carrick, and unleashing a shot that Van der Sar did well to parry as the ball bounced awkwardly in front of him.
United’s defending in the first half was poor, but they began the second just as baldy, Pato being gifted a free header that he put over.
Andrea Pirlo then sent a free-kick swerving towards the top corner that Van der Sar palmed over, and the Dutch keeper made another fine save soon after to keep out a Ronaldinho curler after another Evans error.
But 21 minutes into the second half United stole a second.
Substitute Antonio Valencia outpaced Giuseppe Favalli and clipped over a high cross for Rooney, who leapt and guided a magnificent looping header back across goal and into the top corner.
Rooney dragged a shot just wide before capitalising on a Fletcher cross to nod in his 25th of the season after 74 minutes.
But 11 minutes later, substitute Seedorf scored and they could even have pulled level, as Ronaldinho laid in Pippo Inzaghi, only for the veteran to fire over the bar.
Carrick was then sent off in the closing stages but it had no bearing on the first leg as United completed a record 16th European away game without defeat, but he will miss the second with suspension.
