Having both missed in the shootout, the opposing images of a disconsolate John Terry and a relieved Ronaldo will surely endure. Commiserations must go to Chelsea, who will now have to regroup; or was this the current squad’s last shot at the biggest club trophy of all? In the aftermath, Ronaldo stressed his desire to stay with the Manchester club as they prepare to defend their title and further justify Sir Alex Ferguson’s claim that this is the best team he has coached in his 20 years at Old Trafford.

50 years after the Munich air disaster that claimed a generation, Manchester United opened the UEFA Champions League Final like a team destined to lift the trophy. Scholes dominated a tetchy midfield for United, the Englishman undeterred by a bloodied face to slickly interchange with Brown, who crossed for Ronaldo’s opener. The confident Portuguese put paid to Avram Grant’s decision to pit him against Essien, towering above the scattered defense with an irresistibly placed header.

Manchester United continued to pour forward, the orange figure of Cech repeatedly keeping them at bay. After Ballack threatened with a close-range header, Van der Sar failed to deal with an Essien incursion and Lampard duly arrived in the box to level the match before the stroke of halftime.

Neither team backed off in a truly absorbing second half. 90 minutes passed with the closest chance falling to the now-dominant Chelsea, Didier Drogba’s snapshot skimming the post. Giggs replaced Scholes on 87 minutes to surpass Bobby Charlton’s Manchester United appearance record, but his opportunity to reward Manchester United’s extra time resurgence with a goal was denied by the defiant head of John Terry.

Extra time proved difficult for everyone as fatigue matched determination. Despite some excellent passes Rooney’s waning impact saw him replaced on 100 minutes. A frustrated Drogba eventually lashed out at the colossal Vidic to earn a late red card. With Chelsea now down to ten men, both managers prepared for penalties.

Having watched Ronaldo miss his penalty, Terry stepped up in the shootout to give Chelsea the cup. But the captain slipped on the Moscow surface and missed, leaving it to Anelka to keep them in the game two penalties on. The Frenchman was nonchalant but Van der Sar stood firm, redeeming his uncomfortable performance and exorcizing a 96 final shootout defeat from his Ajax days.

As the rain continued to pour, Manchester United celebrated among the dejected Chelsea team, including a heartbroken Terry. On a night when Manchester United had many decisive players, Tevez and Hargreaves had personified their team spirit in a fantastic spectacle for the neutral, and a worthy climax to the 07/08 UEFA Champions League season.

Relive the drama of that rainy night in Moscow with our match photos: