AC Milan 2-1 Liverpool:AC Milan beat Liverpool 2-1 with two goals from Filippo Inzaghi to win the European Cup for the seventh time tonight and avenge their defeat by Liverpool on penalties in the final two years ago.
Liverpool, who looked down and out, pulled a goal back in the
89th minute through a Dirk Kuyt header, but they could not repeat
their achievement of 2005 when they fought back from 3-0 down to
force a 3-3 draw and win the final in Istanbul on penalties.
The Italian side scored against the run of play just before
halftime when Inzaghi got in the way of a free kick by Andrea Pirlo
to divert the ball past helpless goalkeeper Pepe Reina.
He added the second in the 82nd minute when he rounded
goalkeeper Reina and squeezed the ball home under his body after
being played in by Kaka.
Liverpool enjoyed most of the possession and created more
chances without managing to find the net earlier as Milan avenged
their Istanbul heartbreak.
Anfield skipper Steven Gerrard had the best chance to equalise in the second half but his sidefooted effort was saved by Dida.
Kuyt's close-range header on 89 minutes gave the travelling Reds
fans hope - but it was a bridge too far this time.
Liverpool created the first clear-cut chance of the game on
10 minutes, when Marek Jankulovski's slip allowed Kuyt to set up
Jermaine Pennant, whose low drive was parried by Dida, with
Alessandro Nesta clearing to safety.
Gerrard then flicked on to release Pennant down the right - but the winger's cross back to his skipper was miscued by the England man on the edge of the 18-yard box.
Milan created their first clear-cut chance on 17 minutes. A cross from the left found Kaka 25 yards from goal and he created an opening to unleash a skidding shot which was well saved by Reina.
Pennant charged down the right flank on 23 minutes and delivered
a superb cross to Gerrard on
the edge of the 18-yard box, from where he volleyed narrowly
over Dida's crossbar.
But Milan's win completes an astonishing comeback for the club punished for their role in last year's Italian match-fixing scandal and who were only allowed to compete after Uefa decided they had no legal grounds to ban them.
Liverpool:Reina, Finnan, Carragher, Agger, Riise, Pennant, Alonso, Mascherano, Zenden, Gerrard, Kuyt. Subs: Dudek, Arbeloa, Hyypia, Kewell, Gonzalez, Crouch, Bellamy.
AC Milan:Dida, Oddo, Maldini, Nesta, Jankulovski, Pirlo, Ambrosini, Gattuso, Kaka, Seedorf, Inzaghi. Subs: Kalac, Cafu, Kaladze, Gilardino, Favalli, Serginho, Brocchi.
Referee:Herbert Fandel (Germany)
