(Bbc.co.uk)
AC Milan 1-0 Man Utd
AC Milan win 2-0 on aggregate
Manchester United's Champions League hopes were shattered by Hernan Crespo after 61 minutes in Milan.

The AC Milan striker met Cafu's cross from the right and his cushioned header looped beyond goalkeeper Tim Howard.

United needed goals but the closest they came was a Ryan Giggs shot across goal from the left that hit the post.

Ruud van Nistelrooy had a chance in each half but missed the target from close range on both occasions, efforts he would have normally buried.

In the search for goals, after losing the first leg at home, Sir Alex Ferguson loaded his team with attacking intent.

Van Nistelrooy led the line with support from Wayne Rooney, Cristiano Ronaldo, Paul Scholes and Giggs.

The only time the quintet had played together prior to this outing was when United had ended Arsenal's unbeaten Premiership run earlier in the season, but this time they failed to take the spoils.

Milan's iron-like defence kept a tight grip on proceedings and it transpired that the immovable object blunted the irresistable force with cool, composed ease.

With Clarence Seedorf and Gennaro Gattuso regularly dropping back on demand, they ensured United lived off scraps in attack.

And when they did get a chance they failed to capitalise.

Sometimes in football, you just have to hold your hands up and say: "We lost to a better side."

Van Nistelrooy galloped at the heart of the Rossoneri rearguard and his perfectly weighted pass to the left found Giggs, but while the Welshman's shot from the left beat Dida it also shaved the wrong side of the post.

Their only other opportunity in the first-half fell to Van Nistlerooy, but the Dutchman shot wildly over after Rooney had headed Roy Keane's dinked chip from the right into his path.

In a game of few chances Milan always looked the more likely to break the deadlock and so it finally proved.

Howard had denied Crespo early on - one of only three shots on target over the 90 minutes - and was fortunate when Kaka's driven volley, after a poor touch from Mikael Silvestre, grazed the crossbar.

Having given warning of his power in the air with an effort over the bar, Crespo adjusted his radar to flight a header beyond Howard moments later.

Rio Ferdinand's last-ditch tackle denied the Argentine a gilt-edged chance to make it two and United had another let off when the referee waved away penalty calls after Keane fell on the ball in the area.

But the visitors could not take advantage.

Van Nistelrooy was played in by Ronaldo's cross through the box but he could not bring it down quickly enough, finally dragging it wide of goal.

With it went United's Champions League campaign for another season.



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

AC Milan: Dida, Cafu, Nesta, Stam, Maldini, Gattuso (Costacurta 89), Pirlo, Seedorf, Rui Costa (Dhorasoo 85), Kaka, Crespo (Ambrosini 78).
Subs Not Used: Abbiati, Inzaghi, Tomasson, Serginho.

Goals: Crespo 61.

Man Utd: Howard, Brown (Smith 85), Ferdinand, Silvestre, Heinze, Ronaldo, Keane, Scholes, Giggs (Fortune 57), Rooney, Van Nistelrooy.
Subs Not Used: Carroll, Phil Neville, Bellion, Miller, O'Shea.

Booked: Fortune.

Att: 78,957.

Ref: Herbert Fandel (Germany).

(Bbc.co.uk)
Ferguson rues missed opportunity
Sir Alex Ferguson bemoaned Manchester United's finishing over the course of the two legs of their Champions League defeat to AC Milan.

"If you look at the two games we had six good chances and we didn't take any of them," the manager said after going down 1-0 in Milan and 2-0 on aggregate.

"The margins at this level are very fine and that is what has decided the tie overall.

"I'm disappointed to go out but we've gone out to a very good team."

United, despite a glittering array of attacking talent, failed to hit the target, Ryan Giggs coming closest when he shaved the woodwork.

"We didn't get the break we needed when Ryan hit the post," Ferguson added.

"We needed to score the first goal. That was the key to the whole contest, that was the chance and unfortunately we didn't take it."

"If we had taken the first one it would have been a different game.

"Our decision-making could have been better but you only get that through playing and my players will get better."

Ferguson also reflected on Roy Carroll's mistake in the first leg that gifted AC Milan a priceless away goal.

I think they are good enough to win the competition - what they have is something special

Ferguson on AC Milan

Hernan Crespo pounced on that occasion, as he did in the San Siro heading home Cafu's cross for the the only goal of the game.

"It was a hard game. Losing the goal at Old Trafford was the killer for us," he added.

"We had a great spirit tonight and it took a fantastic header from Crespo to decide it."

Ferguson also believes the Italian league leaders can go on and win the Champions League.

"Cafu's performance was important - he must have two hearts the way he keeps going.

"And if (Paolo) Maldini carries on for another four or five years I think I will quit.

"We play a lot of European teams on their own grounds and have to tolerate a lot of histrionics.

"We didn't get any of that from Milan. They conducted themselves in an impeccable manner.

"That is what makes them a little bit special. They can definitely win the Champions' League this season."

anch'io ero molto fiducioso,complimenti f per il tuo commentosemplicemente esauriente e perfetto!

2 annotazioni:
1 finalmente la griffe di TESTA del valdanito
2 dida NON ha fatto una parata in 2 partite

...............e i diavoletti rossi a casa!!!!!!!

GRANDE MILAN

1 RINO ha corso tutta la partita sfiorando un gol poetico dopo aver saltato due birilli e dopo un uno due epico con KAKA'.
2 non avete fatto un tiro in porta in 2 partite e l'unica occasione,il palo,ve l'abbbiamo concessa per errore di Pirlo.
3 ma Ronaldo ha fatto solamente 3 tiri senza senso,si è spostato da destra a sinistra tutta la partita trovando sempre il muro ROSSONERO(stam,nesta,maldini,gattuso,cafu)
4 un rigore limpido.ma lo sa il pluriaccusato in tribunale che non si può bloccare il pallone con le mani,quello è un'altro sport.
5 A CASA!

per il poetico :
rino gattuso vien dalla campagna in sul calar del sole

per l'epico vediamo un po

cantami o diva del pelide gattuso l'ira funesta

Il Milan passa il turno con merito, ha saputo sfruttare le occasioni che ha avuto, il Manchester no. La differenza è questa, in più l'esperienza dei suoi giocatori. Non parlerei di grande Milan, alla fine è stato il solito 1-0 super difeso, come con Real, Barca,....
Noia assoluta

sulla noia posso essere daccordo, mi son visto la partita stanotte, però c'è da dire che il milan era nettamente superiori...e poi a parte giggs e rud ha creato troppo poco per poter sperare di ribaltare il risultato...IMHO una squadra che crea così poco merita di tornarsene a casa

Inter-milan era una partita noiosa, questa non è stata per nulla noiosa. Poteva tranquillamente finire sul 3-1 (sempre per il milan naturalmente )
Mi ha deluso il mancester, si pensava che all'andata fosse solo una partita storta ma oggi si sono ripetuti.
Dove sono tutti questi grandi fenomeni? Possibile che lo stesso milan di "atalanta-milan" abbia addormentato questi astri?
Non credo, penso che siano tutti sopravvalutati, mi ricordo che c'era uno che diceva "c. Rondaldo è anche più forte di Maradona". Va ho visto! L'altra volta potevate anche venire a dirmi che aveva una giornata storta... ma le giornate storte le ha sempre contro il milan???
Deludenti.

1-0 super-difeso?



Ragazzo mio, questa è prevenzione, oltre che una folle dose di rosicamento...

Allora, ti elenco le palle-gol avute dal Manchester nelle due partite:

1) Scholes che calcia a lato, in seguito a contropiede di Fortune

2) contropiede di Ronaldo, e Fortune che spara fuori a porta vuota

3) Palo di Giggs dopo contropiede

4) grande occasione per RVN, che sparacchia a lato dopo assis di pugno di Fortune

Tirando le somme, lo United ha kagato fuori 3 contropiedi e un'azione casuale in area del Milan, in 180'.
E i contropiedi si fanno quando gli altri attaccano, o mi sbaglio?

Per cortesia, i red devils non sono mai stati in partita e Ferguson non ha saputo trovare alcuna contromossa per fermare la manovra palleggiata del Milan. I rossoneri hanno giocato decisamente meglio, e pure senza il miglior attaccante hanno attaccato di più e creato più occasioni del Manchester.

Stop.

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