AC Milan made sure there was no Liverpool comeback this time. The
Italian club won the Champions League final Wednesday, defeating
Liverpool 2-1 behind two goals by Filippo Inzaghi for its seventh
European Cup title.
"These are the evenings that remain with you for all your life,"
Inzaghi said. "I've scored quite a few times in Europe but scoring
in the Champions League final is something special."
The game was a a rematch of the 2005 final when Milan blew a 3-0
halftime lead and lost on penalty kicks after a 3-3 tie that become
one of the greatest finals in the competition's 52-year
history.
"The defeat two years ago will stay me for a lifetime," Milan
midfielder Gennaro Gattuso said. "But this is a different story.
It's our turn to celebrate now."
Milan moved within two of Real Madrid's record of nine European
Cup triumphs. Liverpool has won five times.
Milan, whose previous title came in 2003, won a showdown between
teams struggling in their leagues ?a Milan is fourth in Serie A and
Liverpool is third in the Premier League.
The sea of red of Liverpool fans at one end of the stadium
outnumbered the red and black of Milan at the other.
Milan went ahead when Andrea Pirlo's 45th-minute free kick went
through the wall and deflected off the side of Inzaghi and past
goalkeeper Pepe Reina.
Inzaghi made it 2-0 in the 82nd, taking a pass from Kaka in the
center, spurting ahead and rolling the ball from an angle past the
outstretched Reina.
"The first goal opened up the game, but the second was certainly
more beautiful," Inzaghi said.
Dirk Kuyt scored for Liverpool with a minute to go. This time,
however, there was no extra time and no penalty shootout.
"It's the complete opposite," said Liverpool captain Steven
Gerrard, whose goal began the comeback in Turkey two years ago.
"You've got to take it on the chin, move on and try to pick
yourself up, but at the moment it's heartbreaking. We gave
everything but it wasn't to be tonight."
Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez, who also led Valencia to the
UEFA Cup title in 2004 before moving to Anfield, rued the deflected
goal.
"We lost against a good team with top-class players," he said.
"The first half we played really well but conceded a goal, a
deflection, through bad luck."
AC Milan nearly was kicked out of this year's competition by
European soccer's governing body but was allowed to remain and
started in the third round of qualifying.
AC Milan captain Paolo Maldini, a month short of his 39th
birthday, became the oldest nongoalkeeper to take part in a final.
He collected his fifth winners' medal, one short of the competition
record by Real Madrid's Francisco Gento.
Milan coach Carlo Ancelotti now has two winners medals as a
coach to go with the ones he won as a Milan player in 1989 and
1990.
"This joy has to be shared with all those close to the club, all
those who have sustained us, and all the fans," Ancelotti said. "It
was a very difficult game, much like our season. We started slowly
but grew in confidence as the game went on.
(China Daily via AP May 24, 2007)
