Champions League: and the Champions are Milanese

Milan

2-1

Liverpool

Inzaghi shone by scoring two goals

Milan defeated Liverpool in Athens and have won their 7th European Champions Clubs' Cup. Two years ago, in a thrilling game, Liverpool won on a penalty shots decision after a 3-3 score.

Rafael Benitez, a tactical coach, opted for a five-man midfield and this tactic gave to Liverpool the possibility to held well the ball. However, the game offered both teams few chances to score. In effect this time the game wasn't so high in emotions as two years ago because after Inzaghi has scored the first goal, following a Pirlo's free kick at 45 minutes, there were no doubts as to who the winner was going to be.


During the second half, Liverpool didn't have a clear chance of drawing the game. By the contrary Milan could have increased it's chances of scoring another goal had it not been for the auxiliary referee's incorrect signalling of an offside situation at the 60th minute. At this stage , with Crouch part of the game on Liverpool's side (Mascherano having been booked a yellow card), a touch of brilliance from Kaká gave Inzaghi the chance to score Milan's second goal, Inzaghi having just moments before rounded Reina before scoring from an angle.

Liverpool scored, reducing the goal difference by one goal, thanks to Kuyt who scored from a corner shot. However, in our opinion, Milan was a fair winner of this Cup after having defeated Manchester United in the semi-finals. As a whole, Milan proved to be very strong as a team but with brilliant individual performances, such as those of Kaká, Seedorf and ,in this match, Inzaghi, ensuring superiority over their rivals.


Kaká was the top scorer of this competition with 10 goals

Referee: H. Fandel (Ger)

AC Milan - Dida - Oddo, Nesta, Maldini (cap), Jankulovski (Kaladze 79) - Gattuso, Pirlo, Ambrosini, Seedorf (Favalli 90+2) - Kaká - F. Inzaghi (Gilardino 88)

Liverpool - Reina - Finnan (Arbeloa 88), Carragher, Agger, Riise - Pennant, Xabi Alonso, Mascherano (Crouch 78), Zenden (Kewell 59), Gerrard (cap) - Kuyt

Goals: Inzaghi (45, 82); Kuyt (89)
Yellow cards to: Gattuso (40), Jankulovski (54), Mascherano (58) e Carragher (60)