Abby Brammell

By Ian Ladyman in Milan

High and mighty: Wayne Rooney beats Daniele Bonera to score his first of the night

Wayne Rooney proved himself head and shoulders above the rest of Europe with two superb headers that sank David Beckham’s AC Milan in the San Siro on Tuesday night.

Rooney’s two-goal burst in eight second-half minutes saw Manchester United recover from a disastrous start to win the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie.

United manager Sir Alex Ferguson said: ‘Wayne is in devastating form and Milan could not handle him in the second half. He was marvellous. I said at half-time we had to get him in the game more as I knew he had the beating of them. His basic ability is as good as the best players in the world.’

Brazilian superstar Ronaldinho gave Milan the perfect start with a goal after three minutes and Ferguson was furious as the Italian team outplayed his Barclays Premier League champions for the first half an hour.

At one stage the United manager screamed at defender Jonny Evans to wake up, while Rooney appeared to suggest afterwards that some of his team-mates had not been up to the task.


No fairytale: David Beckham shows his frustration after a disappointing night against his former club


Rooney said: ‘Some people were not doing their jobs right. But in the second half we stepped it up and fully deserved to win.

‘We were the better side and 3-2 is a great result.’

A lucky goal from Paul Scholes - the ball went in off the shin of his standing left leg after he missed it with his right - sent United in level at half time and Rooney then took the game away from Milan before Dutchman Clarence Seedorf gave the home team some hope with a late goal.

Former United star Beckham played for 71 minutes and said: ‘Against Manchester United you have to take your chances. If we had scored a couple more goals when we were on top it might have been different.

‘We played quite well but when you play United and guys like Wayne Rooney, it is difficult. They are a very good team but thanks to our second goal we’re still in with a chance.’

United will be without midfielder Michael Carrick for the second leg at Old Trafford in three weeks after he was sent off for a second bookable offence, thought to have been
time-wasting, late in the game.

Ferguson added: ‘We could have been two or three down early on and we were fortunate to be level at half time.

‘It was a bit of a carnival at the end and their second goal has made it a game again when really there should no longer be a game.’

In the other tie, Jean Makoun’s goal gave Lyon a 1-0 first-leg advantage over Real Madrid.


source :dailymail