Rooney snatches win for United
Wayne Rooney gave United a fighting chance in the San Siro
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Tuesday, 24, Apr 2007 11:03
Manchester United overcame a defensive injury crisis to register a 3-2 home win in the first leg of their Champions league semi-final against AC Milan.
Two second-half goals from Wayne Rooney, including one rocket finish with almost the last kick of the game, turned around a match that had looked lost.
Cristiano Ronaldo's early header for the hosts was cancelled out by a Kaka master-class in the first period, which gave the Italians two crucial away goals.
But, despite United's well-publicised patchwork defence, it was the visitors who looked fragile at the back as the home side got off to a flying start with a goal inside four minutes.
Ryan Giggs' corner was allowed to travel deep into the penalty area where Ronaldo's header found the back of the net after looping up off the shoulder of a tentative Dida.
The Old Trafford crowd may have been dreaming of a demolition similar to the one that their side handed out to Roma in the previous round, but Carlo Ancelotti's side proved that they are made of sterner stuff as they fought their way back into the game.
After initially looking stunned by the early setback, the Rossoneri roared into a lead thanks to a brace from playmaker Kaka.
The dangerous Brazilian showed his class with an intuitive dart behind Gabriel Heinze and, when Clarence Seedorf picked out his run with a slide-rule pass, he converted with a precise shot across Edwin van der Sar.
On 35 minutes Kaka showed another side of his game as he out-muscled a trio of red-shirted defenders before wrapping his finish low around the goalkeeper to put the Italian outfit ahead at half-time.
But just as they folded in the face of Liverpool's renaissance in Istanbul two years ago, yet again the visitors seemed to lack their traditional ability to shut down the game and hold onto a lead.
Michael Carrick had already wasted a clear opportunity two minutes after the restart before Rooney latched onto a beautiful touch from Paul Scholes and hammered home the equaliser just before the hour.
Even then it seemed that AC Milan would return home unbeaten before the talismanic striker met a low Giggs cross with a rasping right-foot shot and his early strike caught Dida napping.
With the ball burrowing into the corner of Milan's net for a third time, another famous United win from a pulsating game was sealed - reducing the significance of the opposition's two away goals.