Manchester United Wins Europe Championship

Manchester United won the Champions League by beating Chelsea 6-5 on penalties after a tight 1-1 draw. Cristiano Ronaldo headed United in front after 26 minutes but Frank Lampard evened out before the interval. Ronaldo missed his penalty, but John Terry hit the post with a kick that would have won it for Chelsea and Edwin van der Sar saved from Nicolas Anelka. Terry had to be consoled by boss Avram Grant as he broke down in tears after missing the shot that would have given his side the win.

It sparked crazy celebrations for Alex Ferguson and his players in the Moscow rain as Man U won Europe’s trophy for the third time, a triumph made more emotional as it came 50 years on from the Munich air crash. Ferguson had made it his mission to take the trophy back to Manchester this year in memory of those who died in the tragedy of February 1958. And it gave the 66-year-old Scot his second Champions League triumph, repeating the success against Bayern Munich in Barcelona in 1999.

The penalty shoot-out topped off an exciting game with passages of play of the highest degree, with United dominating the first half but Chelsea showing huge reserves after the break.