While nine-time winners Real and seven-time champions Milan were trading novice mistakes, including the howler that let in Raul to equal Gerd Mueller’s European goalscoring record, the other tournament heavyweights were looking coolly efficient. Manchester United made light of a plastic pitch at the Luzhniki Stadium, the scene of their 2008 final triumph, to make it maximum points from three Group B matches with a 1-0 win over CSKA Moscow, Antonio Valencia swooping late for the only goal.
Chelsea extended its perfect record in Group D by swatting aside Atletico Madrid 4-0, Salomon Kalou putting a terrible early miss behind him to score the first two, and Juventus revived their Group A hopes with a 1-0 win over Maccabi Haifa.
Real’s Santiago Bernabeu Stadium is hosting this season’s final and after the club spent 250 million euros on players before the current campaign coach Manuel Pellegrini is under huge pressure to secure a golden ticket for the Madrid party.
Real, missing the most expensive of those recruits in Cristiano Ronaldo, looked set for their third win when Raul pounced on Dida’s mistake to make it 1-0 and equal Mueller’s record of 66 goals in the main European club competitions.
The game turned when Andrea Pirlo embarrassed Iker Casillas at his near post in the 62nd minute, and the Real keeper, normally among the most reliable of performers, gifted Brazilian striker Alexandre Pato Milan’s second four minutes later.
Royston Drenthe equalized for Real but with two minutes remaining Pato arrived at the back post to volley the winner.
