The
2008 UEFA Champions League Final was a
football match that took place on Wednesday, 21 May 2008, at the
Luzhniki Stadium in
Moscow, Russia, to determine the winner of the
2007–08 UEFA Champions League. It was contested by
Manchester United and
Chelsea, making it an all-English club final for the first time in the history of the competition. This was only the third time that two clubs from the same country had contested the final; the others being the
2000 and
2003finals. It was the first European Cup final played in Russia, and hence the easternmost final in the tournament's history. It also marked the 100th anniversary of Manchester United's
first league triumph, the 50th anniversary of the
Munich air disaster, and the 40th anniversary of United's first European Cup triumph in
1968. It was Manchester United's third European Cup final after 1968 and
1999, while it was Chelsea's first.
Manchester United won the match 6–5 on
penalties, after a 1–1 draw following
extra time.
Cristiano Ronaldo opened the scoring for Manchester United in the 26th minute with a header from a cross by
Wes Brown, but
Frank Lampard equalised shortly before half-time. The second half and most of extra time passed without incident until Chelsea's
Didier Drogba was sent off for slapping
Nemanja Vidić four minutes from the end. In the penalty shoot-out, Ronaldo missed Manchester United's third kick, giving
John Terry the chance to win the game for Chelsea, only for him to slip and hit the post.
Edwin van der Sar then saved
Nicolas Anelka's effort from Chelsea's seventh kick to give Manchester United their third European Cup title.
