Champions League final - MAN UTD WIN 6-5 ON PENALTIES

Manchester United won the Champions League after beating Chelsea 6-5 on penalties after a dramatic 1-1 draw.

Cristiano Ronaldo headed United in front after 26 minutes but Frank Lampard equalised before the interval.

Lampard and Didier Drogba hit the woodwork for Chelsea before the
striker was sent off in extra-time for slapping United defender Nemanja
Vidic.

Ronaldo missed his penalty for United, but John Terry hit the post and Edwin van der Sar saved from Nicolas Anelka.

It sparked wild celebrations for Sir Alex Ferguson and his
players in the Moscow rain as United lifted Europe's major club trophy
50 years on from the Munich air crash and repeated their previous
successes in 1968 and 1999.

Chelsea captain Terry had to be consoled by boss Avram Grant as
he broke down in tears on the touchline after missing the penalty that
would have given his side the trophy, crucially slipping in his run-up
on the treacherous rain-sodden turf and sending his kick against the
upright.

The opening exchanges amounted to little more than sparring -
but the game burst into life after 20 minutes after an aerial collision
between Paul Scholes and Claude Makelele that left both players with a
yellow card and the Manchester United veteran with a bloody nose.

It opened the way for a passage of play that made a mockery of
predictions that this would be a dour encounter in the mould of their
2007 FA Cup Final encounter.

Ronaldo had been giving Essien a torrid time, and his threat
was transformed into tangible results after 26 minutes when he soared
above the Chelsea defender to meet Brown's cross and head his 42nd goal
of the season and put United ahead.

Chelsea were almost gifted an equaliser in bizarre
circumstances seven minutes later when United keeper Edwin van der Sar
was forced to claw away a header from his own defender Rio Ferdinand
after Didier Drogba forced Frank Lampard's cross into the six-yard box.

Cech somehow denied Manchester United a second in the 34th
minute after a stunning move that swept from one end of the field to
the other in an instant and left Chelsea exposed.

Wayne Rooney found Ronaldo with a raking pass, and his cross
was delivered to perfection for Tevez, whose header was blocked by Cech
- who then recovered to make a magnificent one-handed save from
Carrick's follow-up effort.

Tevez was denied again four minutes before the interval when he
escaped the attentions of Makelele but could not slide in Rooney's low
cross.

United were left to regret their missed chances when Chelsea
took advantage of several slices of good fortune to equalise on the
stroke of half-time.

Essien's shot was speculative at best, but two crucial
deflections off Nemanja Vidic and Ferdinand saw the ball fall kindly
for Lampard, who slotted in a neat finish - and his celebration
demonstrated that the goal was dedicated to the memory of his late
mother Pat, who died in April.

Ronaldo's duel with Essien had been a mis-match, but the
Ghanaian was more effective as an attacking driving force after 54
minutes when he finally turned the tables on his tormentor only to
shoot narrowly over the top from 20 yards.

Chelsea had been transformed by the equaliser, and suddenly
they were the team passing with purpose and looking the more likely
side.

And the much-debated Luzhniki Stadium pitch was suddenly
starting to exert an influence, with both Ferdinand and Lampard
suffering from cramp.

Drogba had been a peripheral figure for much of the game, but
he produced a moment of brilliance with 13 minutes left that almost put
Chelsea in front when he curled a right-foot shot against the post from
25 yards.

There was a moment of history three minutes from the end of
normal time when Ryan Giggs replaced Scholes to make his 759th
appearance for United, beating the previous club record held by Sir
Bobby Charlton, who was watching from the stands.

Chelsea boss Grant bizarrely left it until two minutes into
extra-time to make his first change, sending on Salomon Kalou for the
disappointing Florent Malouda.

The woodwork denied Chelsea again seconds later when a superbly
disguised pass from Michael Ballack set up Lampard, but his shot
rebounded to safety off the bar with Van der Sar beaten.

It was a compelling game, and United were left cursing 10
minutes into extra time when Chelsea captain Terry headed off the line
miraculously from Giggs after Patrice Evra had shown pace and strength
to fashion the opening.

Rooney had suffered a frustrating evening, and he looked less
than satisfied when he was hauled off as United introduced the pace and
unpredictability of Nani.

Drogba was sent off four minutes from the end of extra time by
Slovakian referee Lubos Michel for slapping Vidic after an ugly melee
developed when Chelsea felt Tevez and been unsporting in returning the
ball after a break for players to be treated for cramp.

Tevez and Michael Carrick were on target for United as the
shoot-out started, with Ballack and Juliano Belletti following suit for
Chelsea.

Ronaldo then made a hash of his kick, stopping in his run-up before seeing his kick saved by Cech.

Lampard was again successful from the spot and Owen Hargreaves
scored under pressure before Ashley Cole's penalty took Chelsea to the
brink of victory.

Nani scored to prolong the tension, but with defeat staring United in the face, Terry threw them a lifeline with his miss.

Substitutes Anderson and Kalou traded successful kicks before
Giggs threw all the responsibility on Anelka as the shoot-out reached
sudden death - and it proved too much for the striker, who saw his
penalty palmed away by Van der Sar to crown United as kings of European
football once again.