FAIL
http://home.skysports.com/matchreport.aspx?fxid=318836&CPID=5&channel=
Manchester United's Treble dreams disappeared on a wet night in Milan, as the Rossoneri produced a display out of the very top drawer to book their passage to the UEFA Champions League final.
Carlo Ancelotti's Milan raced out of the traps and early goals from Kaka and Clarence Seedorf brought the San Siro to life.
United improved after the break, they could hardly have got much worse, but substitute Alberto Gilardino raced clear to add a third and put some gloss on an impressive performance which yielded a 5-3 aggregate success.
Nemanja Vidic was handed his first start since breaking his collarbone at the end of March and he looked a little rusty as Kaka glided past him inside 60 seconds, but the Brazilian dragged his shot across the face of goal.
It was an early marker by Milan, though, as Seedorf forced Edwin van der Sar into an excellent save with a drive from the edge of the box, while the Dutch keeper was able to gather a volley from Kaka which lacked venom.
While Milan's play was assured, United were wildly profligate in possession and the Rossoneri's blistering start was capped on 11 minutes when Kaka fired them in front.
The impressive Seedorf flicked Alessandro Nesta's pass into the path of the Brazilian and even though the ball was bouncing and he was 18 yards from goal, it seemed inevitable he would score and that is exactly what he did - arrowing a shot into the bottom corner.
Such was Milan's stranglehold on the game, it took 20 minutes for them to make a mistake but Ryan Giggs could not capitalise on Nesta's misplaced header as Dida made a comfortable low save.
If Milan's first goal was entirely of their own doing, the second was gift-wrapped by The Red Devils.
Gabriel Heinze played Vidic into trouble and he slipped and gifted possession to Andrea Pirlo who dug out a cross. Vidic, in his haste to atone, headed the ball straight to Seedorf on the edge of the box and the Dutchman killed the ball in an instant before slamming a low shot into the corner.
Milan came within a whisker of putting the tie to bed on 41 minutes, as a slick move involving Seedorf and Massimo Oddo fashioned a chance for Filippo Inzaghi, but he failed to wrap his foot around the cross and shot wide of the near post.
Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo were bit-part players in the first half, but they did at least show some attacking intent as Rooney knocked Nesta off his feet with a fierce drive and Ronaldo lashed high over the bar.
Milan made a subdued start to the second half, but a misplaced pass from Ronaldo allowed them to spring forward and it needed a fine save from Van der Sar to deny Kaka who had made a mug of Vidic.
Gennaro Gattuso had a superb game, but he blotted his copybook when giving away a couple of free-kicks in dangerous positions. Ronaldo though, in what summed up his evening, lashed his efforts straight at the wall.
Milan's intensity dropped in the second-half and Darren Fletcher had a chance to bring the tie back into the melting pot, but he sliced Rooney's inviting pass disappointingly wide.
Moments later Rooney produced a great turn and flashed a ball across the face of goal, and then made a mess of an acrobatic volley as United finally found a foothold in the game.
Although content to concede ground, Milan still carried a threat and it took a timely block from Wes Brown to thwart Kaka who had been played in by Seedorf.
Sir Alex Ferguson threw on Louis Saha with 15 minutes remaining, but the late push failed to materialise as Gilardino galloped through a huge gap before curling a shot beyond Van der Sar.
The third goal changed the equation very little, but it knocked the stuffing out of Manchester United who must now concentrate on domestic matters.
While for Milan, a trip to Athens hands them the chance to exorcise the demons of two years ago against Liverpool on 23rd May.
I told ya'll they were going to have to play picture perfect football and what happened.. kaka and milan opened a clean can of whoop-whoop..don't lose this weekend..cause Arsenal will have our hands full with chelsea and no telling how that will turn out
