Milan take revenge with 2-1 victory

Milan 2
Liverpool 1

Milan beat Liverpool 2-1 with two goals from Filippo Inzaghi to win the European Cup for the seventh time last night and avenge their defeat by Liverpool on penalties in the final two years ago.

Liverpool pulled a goal back in the 89th minute through a Dirk Kuyt header but could not repeat their famous Istanbul fightback when they recovered from 3-0 down to force a 3-3 draw and win the 2005 final on penalties.

The Italians took the lead against the run of play just before half-time when Inzaghi got in the way of Andrea Pirlo's free-kick to divert the ball past keeper Pepe Reina.

He added the second in the 82nd minute when he rounded Reina and squeezed the ball home under his body after being played in by Kaka.

Dutchman Kuyt gave Liverpool some hope just before the end with a header from a corner.

But in the end it was Milan's fans celebrating loudest after seeing their 38-year-old captain Paolo Maldini lift the trophy. It was his record-equalling eighth final and the fifth European Cup success of his career.

"The fifth is still beautiful," PaOlo Maldini said.

"This would be a great end to my career but I want to play next season and then it would be very beautiful to reach this point again in 2008."

Despite Milan ending the match victorious, Liverpool enjoyed most of the possession and created more chances without managing to find the net earlier in the contest.

Steven Gerrard said: "It's difficult to take but that's football for you. You've got to take it on the chin and move on and try and pick yourself up... but it's heartbreaking."

Milan had failed to impress in the first half and needed a stroke of luck to break the deadlock.

Their victory completed an astonishing comeback for the club punished for their role in last year's Italian match-fixing scandal and who were only allowed to compete in the Champions League after UEFA decided they had no legal grounds to ban them.

Liverpool, who dominated large periods of the first half, maintained their tempo after the break in a determined attempt to grab an equaliser after falling behind.

Apart from the ineffective Boudewijn Zenden, replaced after 59 minutes by Harry Kewell, Liverpool found ways through Milan's defence down the flanks and through the middle, where Xabi Alonso had a fine game, and should have equalised after 63 minutes.

Gerrard seized on a wayward ball by Gennaro Gattuso, powered past some desperate defending but then hit his shot too close to Dida without enough power and the Brazilian saved comfortably.

Although Liverpool had more of the possession, Milan were content to soak up the pressure and grew in confidence as the game moved into its closing stages.

The English side did finally breach the Milan defence late in the game but the Italians held on for a narrow victory and in the end it was Inzaghi who proved to be their hero.

He justified coach Carlo Ancelotti's faith in picking him ahead of Alberto Gilardino and his joy was obvious, especially after injury had forced him out of the final two years ago.

Scorers: Inzaghi (Milan) 45, 82; Kuyt (Liverpool) 89.

Milan: 1-Dida; 44-Massimo Oddo, 13-Alessandro Nesta, 3-Paolo Maldini, 18-Marek Jankulovski (4-Kakha Kaladze '79); 8-Gennaro Gattuso, 21-Andrea Pirlo, 23-Massimo Ambrosini, 10-Clarence Seedorf (19-Giuseppe Favalli '90), 22-Kaka; 9-Filippo Inzaghi (11-Alberto Gilardino '89).

Liverpool: 25-Pepe Reina; 3-Steve Finnan (2-Alvaro Arbeloa '88), 5-Daniel Agger, 23-Jamie Carragher, 6-John Arne Riise; 16-Jermaine Pennant, 20-Javier Mascherano (15-Peter Crouch '78), 14-Xabi Alonso, 8-Steven Gerrard, 32-Boudewijn Zenden (7-Harry Kewell '59); 18-Dirk Kuyt.

Referee: Herbert Fandel (Germany).