From Russia With Love

That, and the UEFA Champion's League trophy.

The picture sums it up. What it all boils down to, for the fans, the culmination of a year of many a sleepless night, palpitations, disappointments, hope and ultimately, victory. For the players, a piece of footballing history that will long live in the memory. United are worthy champions without question. Had it not been for the goalkeeping heroics of Peter Cech and the wasteful finish of Michael Carrick (not aided by opting to shoot to his left where an everpresent Cech and a Chelsea defender were daunting human barriers, when placing it into an empty right hand corner would have sufficed) , if Carlos Teves feet had made sweet contact with Wayne Rooney's perfectly weighted ball instead of brushing against it, the game would have been considerably different. 2-0 would have killed it off. How United would rue those misses.

Then came the Michael Essien drive which fortuitously deflected off Paul Scholes and bounced off Rio Ferdinand unto the grateful feet of Frank Lampard who finished smartly. That was to be Chelsea's first and only shot on target in the whole half. What an injustice! To top it off, Chelsea scored so close to half time and it proved to be a mortal blow to United's confidence.

United were not the same side in the second half, a shadow of their former selves. They were losing the physical battles and offered sporadic resistance without ever really threatening. Chelsea were on the ascension and dominated the midfield with Drogba hitting the outside of the upright, though in all honesty, it never looked like it was going in when he let fly from outside the box.

Lampard had Chelsea's best chance of the game when, a deft turn and shot cannoned off the crossbar. I guess that evened out the earlier fluke of a goal, well, almost. Not to be outdone, Giggs had a fine chance, but it required a right foot to bury it into the vacant left, and so his shot was headed away by a well placed John Terry.

Just when the game seemed destined to end uneventfully, the red mist descended. A scuffle in extra time broke out which resulted in yellow cards for Teves, Michael Ballack and a straight red for Didier Drogba. In the heat of the moment, the slightest tap on Nemanja Vidic's cheeks gave Lubos Michel no choice but to give Drogba his marching orders. The coup de grace to Chelsea's serial diver. The game then petered out and ended honours even.

The pulses were set racing again, tipping every watching soul into adrenaline overdrive.

Cue Tevez, a mazy run up and an ice cool finish. 1-0 to Man United.

Chelsea then matched United step for step until THAT third penalty. A nervy Cristiano Ronaldo stepped up gingerly, hesitating several times before being too close to the ball to put any real power or direction behind it. Cech, true to form, duly saves. The pendulum swung and quite a few heads dropped. Crestfallen, Ronaldo buries his face in his hands.

Chelsea could smell blood and when Ashley Cole's shot squirmed into the net after Edwin Van der Sar looked to have saved, a sense of inevitability dawned on Stamford Bridge while impending doom drew closer to the Old Trafford faithful.

At that moment, a visibly humbled and teary Ronaldo lay prostrate with hands clasped above his head in fervent prayer. The heavens opened up and the rain poured with renewed vigour. Michael Carrick's eyes closed as a confident John Terry strode with an air of confidence to the penalty spot. But just when Van der Sar seemed well and truly beaten, the slippery surface proved to be Terry's match as his standing foot gave way as he was striking the ball. The ball clipped the post and yes, there is a God in this world!

Normal service resumed as Anderson and Soloman Kalou both slotted comfortably to take it to penalty number 7. Manchester United's most loyal servant was next. Ryan Giggs, just as he did against Wigan, put the ball into the back of the net.

By now every man, woman and child was on the edge of their seat. Nicolas Anelka, with no hint of emotion or nerves on his face, makes a run up to the ball. He hits it to the left and its rising but its met by the palms of Van der Sar.

The Luzhniki Stadium erupts, MANCHESTER UNITED are the CHAMPIONS of EUROPE!