Manchester United wins the Champions League title in penalties

Manchester United wins the Champions League title in penalties Manchester United became the winner of the 2008 Champions League title, after beating Chelsea 6-5 in penalty kicks, following the 1-1 draw in regular time. Favourite from the very beginning the Red Devils came out strong in the first half to take the lead, thanks to a goal by Cristiano Ronaldo in the 26th minute of the Champions League final. Frank Lampard's goal in the 45th minute equalized the match and the two English teams went in the locker rooms on 1-1 score. In the second half Chelsea was reborn and took the lead on the field but the stable defence of Manchester United prevented a score, while Petr Cech was the hero for the Blues, keeping the net dry in the second half of the final. The final score in regular time was 1-1, which paid out big at the British licensed online bookmaker Bet 365, where the odds were 3.00 for a draw (Manchester United held odds 2.50 and Chelsea was underdog at 3.20).

The extra time went by without a goal, but minutes before the second extra time was over, an altercation sent Chelsea's star Drogba on the bench for slapping Vidic's face. The Champions League final had to be decided by penalty kicks: Ballack, Juliano Belletti, Lampard and Ashley Cole scored for Chelsea, but captain John Terry missed the goal. Ronaldo also missed his penalty shot for Manchester United, but Van der Sar blocked Anelka's attempt, giving the victory to the Red Devils. And yes, Ryan Giggs came off the bench in the 87th minute for his 759th appearance, breaking Bobby Charlton's club record.

Published on 05/21/2008