The big story entering Tuesday’s match between AC Milan and Manchester United centered around the heavyweight battle that featured David Beckham taking on his old squad. Early on, it looked like Ronaldinho was the real player to watch, but in the end it was Wayne Rooney and Manchester United stealing the show to take a 3-1 victory at the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza.
AC Milan put immediate pressure on the visitors, controlling the ball for the entirety of the first five minutes of the game and doing so in style, with the likes of Ronaldinho performing flicks and tricks of all sorts
Ronaldinho capitalized on early AC Milan pressure and confidence when his shot deflected past Edwin van der Sar in just the 3rd minute to make it 1-0 AC Milan. Patrice Evra attempted to clear David Beckham’s free kick by performing a bicycle kick, but the ball fell right to Ronaldinho at the top of the 18-yard box.
The Brazilian would come close to scoring again in the 7th minute as Manchester United’s defense would continue to break down. Thiago Silva made a great run in the 11th minute and played Luca Antonini into space, but he muffed a shot wide of the near post from 10 yards out. United’s early frustration would become visible throughout the first half, exemplified by Wayne Rooney throwing his hands up in disgust in just the 15th minute after Nani sent in a hopeful cross to nobody.
The 18th minute produced a questionable no-call from referee Olegário Benquerença when Ronaldinho intercepted a lazy Paul Scholes back pass and Rio Ferdinand was forced to make a somewhat clumsy challenge at the top of the box. Replays showed less contact than initially thought, but still enough to cause some noise from a very energetic crowd in the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza.
United created very little in the first half, with Rooney’s wide shot in the 19th minute being the main half-chance for the visitors, and even that came from very little build-up in the attack.
In the 34th minute, Klaas-Jan Huntelaar found himself in behind an out of position Ferdinand, but pushed a shot just wide. For all of the chances Milan had (many of which were created by poor decisions from Manchester United), the score remained at the dangerous score of 1-0.
Paul Scholes would make Milan pay when he found net in the 36th minute, completely against the run of play and in a flash of complete luck. Johnathan Evans sent a cross in that Scholes swung at with his right foot and missed, but the ball struck the shin of his left plant leg, nicked the inside of the far post and beat AC Milan goalkeeper Dida to level the game at 1-1.
Ronaldinho would continue to cause trouble in the 41st minute when his brilliant turn split two United defenders and forced van der Sar into a critical save and it would remain 1-1 going into halftime.
The second half started as more of the same, with Pato’s flashing header going just wide in the 48th minute. Andre Pirlo’s 52nd minute free kick looked destined for the upper 90 until van der Sar pushed it over the bar, and Manchester United continued to give up free kicks. Pato would then bring the ball down in the 60th minute and find Ronaldinho at the top of the box, who would send a curling shot toward net and force a tip-save from van der Sar.
Antonio Valencia would enter the match in the 64th minute for Nani, who was plagued by bad touches and missed crosses all night. Valencia would make an immediate impact. He sent a cross into the box in the 66th minute and found Rooney, who snapped a header back across the frame of goal and into the side netting to give Manchester United an improbable 2-1 lead.
United almost went up 3-1 in the 73rd minute, but Rooney dragged his shot just wide. He would make up for it in the 74th minute though, when he would head home a Darren Fletcher cross to make it 3-1. Rooney found himself unchallenged in the box and Dida could do nothing about his glancing header from 10 yards out.
Second half substitute Clarence Seedorf, who came on for Beckham in the 72nd minute, would make an impact of his own in the 85th minute when he back-heeled a Ronaldinho cross into the net to make it 3-2 and leave AC Milan in less of a hole for the aggregate series.
AC Milan would continue to pressure the visitors throughout the final minutes, but would fall by a final of 3-2. That puts AC Milan in a tough position for the return leg at Old Trafford on March 10 after giving up three goals at home. Michael Carrick was also curiously sent off in stoppage time, so he will be unavailable for the second leg.
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