21/05/2008 20:47, Report by Jon Crampin
http://www.manutd.com/default.sps?pagegid={B4CEE8FA-9A47-47BC-B069-3F7A2F35DB70}&newsid=5960126&page=1
Edwin van der Sar was the hero as United were crowned champions of Europe for the third time after a dramatic penalty shoot-out victory over Chelsea at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow.

Forty years after first winning the European Cup at Wembley in 1968, and 50 years since the Munich tragedy, fate played a big part as a dramatic Champions League final went to penalties.

After Cristiano Ronaldo had missed his kick for United, John Terry had the chance to win the cup for Chelsea, but the Blues skipper slipped on the run up and his penalty hit the post. After Anderson and Giggs, plus Kalou for Chelsea, then converted, Nicolas Anelka's sudden death shot was finally saved by van der Sar, sparking jubilant scenes among United’s rain-soaked travelling contingent.

Cristiano Ronaldo had given United a 26th minute lead with a header from Wes Brown’s cross in a first half which the  Reds dominated. Carlos Tevez had two clear chances to put United 2-0 ahead, but his efforts were well saved by Chelsea keeper Petr Cech, who also denied Michael Carrick.

Chelsea gained a foothold in the game in the final few minutes of the first half, and equalised with almost the last kick of the half, when a deflected Michael Essien shot fell kindly for Frank Lampard, who beat Rio Ferdinand and Van der Sar.

The Londoners dominated the second half and Didier Drogba struck the post, before Frank Lampard did likewise in extra time. Ryan Giggs, making a club-record breaking 759th appearance for the Reds, spurned United’s best chance.

In the second period of extra time, Drogba was red carded for a slap on Nemanja Vidic, but despite the one man advantage, the Reds couldn’t make the breakthrough on a heavy pitch, and so the final went to that heart-stopping penalty shoot-out.

在莫斯科的 Luzhniki 球场，曼联在欧洲联赛冠军杯决赛戏剧性地在点球大战中击败切尔西，在俱乐部历史上第三次成为欧洲冠军，而范德萨成为球队今天取得胜利的英雄。

四十年前，曼联在1968年的温布利大球场首次夺得欧洲冠军，而在慕尼黑空难的五十周年，这一届冠军杯决赛最终要通过点球大战分出胜负。

罗纳尔多罚失点球，特里原本有机会为切尔西带来冠军奖杯，但这名蓝军队长却在助跑时滑倒，结果他的射门击中门柱，在安德森和吉格斯分别把点球打进，而卡劳也罚中点球之后，安内尔卡的射门最终被范德萨扑出，范德萨在这场雨战中多次有出色的发挥。

罗纳尔多在第26分钟的时候接应布朗的传球，头球攻门为曼联先开记录，曼联在上半场掌控大局，而特维斯有两次黄金机会，帮助曼联扩大领先优势，可惜他均无法把握，而在上半场结束前最后一刻，埃辛的射门落在兰帕德身前，后者击败费迪南德和范德萨，射门得分。

切尔西在下半场的比赛中略占上风，德罗巴的射门击中门柱，兰帕德在加时赛也有一次射门击中门柱，而以759场比赛创下新的俱乐部上场纪录的吉格斯则错过曼联最佳的得分机会。

在加时赛的下半场，德罗巴因为与维迪奇发生冲突，被红牌罚下，不过多打一人的曼联无法再取得进球，而最终在点球大战当中，曼联笑到最后。