Rooney double helps united storm in to quarter-finals with emphatic 4-0 win against AC Milan
Rooney double helps United storm in to quarter-finals with emphatic 4-0 win against AC Milan
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There was no fairytale Old Trafford return for David Beckham as Wayne Rooney led a Manchester United cruise into the Champions League quarter-finals.
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Man United striker Wayne Rooney celebrates his goal against AC Milan yesterday. Pics/Getty Images |
Instead, the joy was all the hosts' as Park Ji-sung ran on to Paul Scholes' pass to widen the gap before Darren Fletcher headed a fourth near the end.
Always one to embrace a sense of occasion, Beckham was among the last Milan players to leave the dressing room, making his entrance to a standing ovation from supporters who never fell out of love with him the way Ferguson did.
Predictably though, Beckham had been left on the bench, just as he was on his last European appearance for United, against Real Madrid seven years ago, when he eventually scored twice to prove a point without being able to save the Red Devils from elimination.
That night, Ronaldo -- the Brazilian one -- scored a hat-trick for Real. Now United have their own hero, and Ferguson has a world-class striker.
It seems to have been a quiet period for Rooney. That was just because he did not play at Wolves on Saturday.
As Ferguson has been known to engage in the odd bout of kidology, the extent of the knee injury that kept England's star striker out of the Molineux encounter will never be known. He sure was not going to miss out here though.
His two goals in the San Siro three weeks ago turned a tie on its head that appeared to be floating out of United's reach. His latest effort merely rammed another nail in Milan's coffin.
Gary Neville was the provider for the first, curling over a right-wing cross his old friend Beckham would have been proud of.
Rooney soared between defenders and neatly glided the ball into the far corner.
It was his seventh header on the trot in a growing tally of goals that threatens the 42 which helped get Cristiano Ronaldo crowned as the world's best player two years ago.
The same accolades could easily be being bestowed on Rooney next winter.
Much will depend on the respective success enjoyed by United and England of course. But their talisman could not be doing any more and his second arrived 54 seconds after the restart. An outstanding pass, delivered from the left-wing with the outside of his right-foot by Nani, provided the opportunity.
Christian Abbiati gave the game away by dashing out. Rooney merely prodded it past him.
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