Soccer: United lean on talisman Rooney to overcome sloppy start

AC Milan 2-3 Manchester United

If anyone needed convincing that Wayne Rooney is the world's most in-form striker, they only had to watch his two-goal masterclass at the San Siro as Manchester United put one foot into the Champions League quarter-finals.

Rooney received limited service in the first half yet still looked one of the visitors' biggest threats, firing one left-foot strike wide and worrying Alessandro Nesta with his pace and power. And after the break, he was both breathtaking and unstoppable.

AC Milan made the perfect start as Ronaldinho's deflected strike left Edwin van der Sar helpless. United had Rio Ferdinand back at the heart of the back four but he and Jonny Evans endured a torrid first half, wasting possession and being caught out time and again as Milan counter-attacked.

By the time United pulled level through Paul Scholes, Milan should have been two or three goals to the good. But their failure to capitalise let Sir Alex Ferguson's side off the hook and Scholes equalised with arguably the luckiest goal of his career. Swivelling to meet a Darren Fletcher cross, he mis-kicked with his right foot only for the ball to ricochet off his standing leg before trickling in off the far post.

Ferguson's half-time team talk certainly hit home. United were a rampaging animal in the second half with Fletcher everywhere in midfield and Rooney on the prowl. David Beckham, on the other hand, had little impact against his former club.

And they were rewarded when Rooney blew the tie wide open with two goals in eight minutes. Moments after the ineffective Nani was replaced by Antonio Valencia, United went ahead. Valencia's cross picked out Rooney and the England hit man nodded a stunning header past Dida.

His second was far simpler as he headed home Fletcher's pass, leaving United looking home and dry.

That should have been the end of the tie but complacent defending from Rafael Da Silva allowed Ronaldinho to find Seedorf and the Dutchman flicked the ball past van der Sar to give the Italians a lifeline.

Seedorf's goal keeps the tie alive but the second leg - at Old Trafford on March 10 - is United's to lose now and they should be giving Rooney a hefty pat on the back for that. Ferguson had said pre-match that his striker could now be considered among the game's elite and Rooney backed up those words with another sublime performance.

As for Milan, much will depend on Ronaldinho, who showed flashes of his old genius and strengthened his case for selection for this summer's World Cup. Age is not on their side and their legs deserted them in the second half when United were on top. It will take a monumental effort to overturn this deficit.

Much of the attention had been focused on Beckham facing his former club but instead Rooney made his mark and pulled the spotlight away from the past and back onto the present.