Manchester United 4 AC Milan 0 (agg 7-2): Wayne Rooney's nod to
greatness as Rossoneri flattened
There were protests and there were prizes. A gold star for Wayne
Rooney; a green and gold scarf for David Beckham.
And there was
yet another appearance in the Champions League quarter-finals to
celebrate for supporters who began this enchanted Old Trafford evening
applauding their remarkable young striker and ended it by turning, once
again, on their club’s American owners.
For the aforementioned
Manchester United old boy, it amounted to quite a night. Far more
enjoyable, it has to be said, than it would have been for the other old
boys of AC Milan. This was as depressing an evening as this once great
side have had in Europe for many a year. Further evidence that they have
become sporting geriatrics.
Not that their suffering was of any
concern to Rooney and United. Inspired, once again, by their brilliant
England forward, United were sensational in the way they secured their
club’s first victory against the San Siro giants.
Head start: Wayne Rooney nods Manchester United
ahead
Two more goals for Rooney. One each for the excellent Ji-Sung Park
and the irrepressible Darren Fletcher. It was a battering almost as
impressive as the one dished out by Arsenal the previous night.
Rooney, presumably, is now off the naughty step and back in his
manager’s good books.
Sir Alex Ferguson appeared to be furious with him last week for
battling on against Egypt when it seemed he had aggravated a knee
injury. By
Friday he was spitting mad, not least because it meant he would miss
the Premier League trip to Wolves the following day and possibly even
this European game.
But Rooney returned to action here at Old Trafford and returned to
what has now become a familiar routine. Another goal with his head. A
second that enabled him to further demonstrate his ability as a
finisher. He was terrific, from the
power and accuracy of the header to the burst of acceleration he
produced to get to Nani’s ball and guide his finish beyond the reach of
Christian Abbiati before taking evasive action.
Double act: Rooney fires his second just after
half-time
MOST EUROPEAN GOALS
BY
ENGLISH PLAYERS...
33... Gerrard (Liverpool)
30...
Shearer (B’burn – 2, Newc – 28)
27... Owen (Liv – 22, Real – 1, Man U – 4)
26...
Scholes (Manchester Utd)
23...
Andy Cole (Newc – 4, Man Utd – 19)
22... Charlton (Man
Utd)
22... Chivers
(Tottenham)
22... Lampard (West Ham – 1, Chel – 21)
20... Kennedy (Ars – 8, Liv – 12)
20...Rooney
(Man Utd)
That goal, scored shortly after the interval, took him to 30 this
season and now even Ferguson will have to admit there is a good chance
he will sail past Cristiano Ronaldo’s 2007-08 mark of 42 before the
campaign is over.
United have waited a long time to beat Milan but
they did so with
ease in this last-16 tie, building on the 3-2 victory at the San Siro
with a win that was surprisingly comfortable — so easy that Ferguson
took off Rooney after 66 minutes and still found himself celebrating an
extension to his team’s lead.
It was over a good deal before that. After 13 minutes, to be
precise,because that was how long it took for Rooney to score the first
goal
and leave Milan needing three to progress beyond this round.
United performed much like Arsenal had done against Porto. With great
urgency and desire, a real sense
of purpose. Rooney was first to threaten and then Gary Neville, yes
Gary Neville, followed that up with a left-foot effort that flew only
just over the bar.
Game over: Park Ji-sung fires United into a
preponderant 3-0 lead
Milan did respond, threatening with a header from Ronaldinho. But
when Neville sent in a cross Beckham would have been proud to deliver,
Rooney took advantage of truly awful defending. In doing so, he
extended a remarkable run to seven successive goals with his head. And
nine headers in 11.
Milan were nothing like as energetic as they
had been in the first half at the San Siro. There were
flashes of skill, most notably from Andrea Pirlo and Ronaldinho. And a
powerfully struck shot from Pirlo tested Edwin van der Sar.
But in the absence of the injured Pato, their brilliant young
Brazilian striker, they lacked spark. Leonardo should have sent on
Beckham long before he did, because when he came on the midfielder was
probably Milan’s best player.
Sitting targets: Manchester United owners Avi
and Joel Glazer in the directors' box
Leonardo made a different change at the break, replacing the hapless
Daniele Bonera with Clarence Seedorf. But to no avail. No sooner had
the contest resumed than Nani was sending Rooney into the box with a
super ball from the left.
And when Park then sprinted on to a delightful pass from Paul
Scholes and beat Abbiati with an excellent right-foot shot shortly
before the hour, it was simply left to Beckham to lap up the applause
and say the final farewell that was denied him when he joined Real
Madrid in the summer of 2003.
Rapturous return: David Beckham received a warm
reception Old Trafford
MATCH FACTS
Manchester
United (4-3-2-1): Van der Sar 7; Neville 7 (Rafael 66min, 6),
Ferdinand 7, Vidic 7, Evra 7; Fletcher 7, Scholes 7 (Gibson 73, 6), Park
8; Valencia 7, Nani 7; Rooney 9 (Berbatov 66, 6).
Booked: Scholes.
AC MILAN (4-3-3): Abbiati 5; Abate 5
(Beckham 64, 6), Bonera 4 (Seedorf 46, 6), Thiago Silva 5, Jankulovski
6; Flamini 6, Pirlo 6, Ambrosini 6; Huntelaar 5, Borriello 5 (Inzaghi
68, 6), Ronaldinho 5.
Booked: Ronaldinho, Flamini.
Man
of the match: Wayne Rooney.
Referee: Massimo Busacca (Switzerland).
Beckham received the biggest cheer of the night, and went close to
scoring when he unleashed a super volley that forced Van der Sar into
an excellent save.
But the goals were only going to come from United, their fourth
materialising in the form of a cross from Rafael da Silva and a neatly
executed header from Fletcher two minutes before the end.
By then, the fans had turned their attention to the Glazers, which
must have made it particularly unpleasant for Avi and Joel, seated here
last night among the directors.
The darling of those same disgruntled fans, Beckham only added to the
Glazers’ pain by picking up a green
and golf scarf that had been thrown in his direction and wrapping it
around his neck.
Is he one of these Red Knight characters? Probably not, but the
recruitment drive starts here.
