AC Milan set up a repeat Champions League final showdown against Liverpool when they brushed aside Manchester United 3-0 on Wednesday to complete a 5-3 win on aggregate¹.

First-half goals by playmaker Kaka and midfielder Clarence Seedorf, and a second-half strike by substitute Alberto Gilardino rewarded a commanding display by the six-times European champions, who will dispute their third final in five years and the 11th in their history in Athens on May 23.

AC Milan's Kaka celebrates after scoring against Manchester United during their Champions League semi-final second leg soccer match at the San Siro stadium in Milan May 2, 2007.[Reuters]

The game against Liverpool will also give them a chance to avenge² the defeat they suffered against the English club in the 2005 final in Istanbul, when they squandered³ a 3-0 half-time lead before losing 3-2 on penalties.

Their victory also ended hopes of the first all-English final in the competition's history.

Milan coach Carlo Ancelotti told Rai television: "None of the coaches could imagine a match like this. We played perfect football. It is like a dream. Manchester United are a very strong team but we played well in the first leg so it gave us strength to play well today."

Milan midfielder Gennaro Gattuso told Rai: "The end of the season has been very good because it began very badly for Milan this year.

"In the first leg we both played very well and nobody could bet on us, but working hard we have pulled ourselves up."

Milan president Silvio Berlusconi said: "It was a very satisfying match. This evening was a very good game and Milan were very determined⁴ while Manchester United were dominated."

United manager Alex Ferguson told Sky Sports afterwards: "We were on the back foot all night and we gave the goals away cheaply.

"They were better porepared physically⁵ tonight, they've been resting players and that can make a difference at this level while we've been playing the same players for a few weeks now.

"They were sharper and quicker to the ball and pressed really well and they were good winners. We needed a goal to get back into it and in fairness we didn't look like we were going to score."

The game and pre-match preparations in the city passed off peacefully despite fears of violence after Roma and United fans clashed in the last round.

UNITED OUTCLASSED

But United, who held a 3-2 first leg lead from last week's match at Old Trafford, were outclassed from the moment they stepped out at the San Siro.

The lashing⁶ rain, lightening and thunder resembled a wet winter's night in Manchester rather than Milan in spring, but it was the Italian side that looked more comfortable on the greasy⁷ pitch.

Kaka needed less than a minute to show why Alex Ferguson had identified him as the Italian side's most dangerous player.

The Brazilian international, who scored both Milan's goals in the first leg, effortlessly accelerated round Wes Brown to send in a low cross that flashed invitingly⁸ in front of Filippo Inzaghi and Clarence Seedorf.

He didn't take long to find the target, latching⁹ on to a Seedorf nod-on before dispatching a low left-footed drive into the bottom corner of Edwin can der Sar's net after 11 minutes.

United jerked briefly¹⁰ into life. Giggs forced Dida to make his first save of the match after 20 minutes, but the Premier¹¹ League leaders continued to lack their usual bite.

Cristiano Ronaldo, in particular, looked isolated¹² on the left, where Gennaro Gattuso, who had an outstanding match, and Massimo Oddo snapped at his heels every time he received the ball.

SLIPPED OVER

Milan struck again on the half hour mark, the move beginning when defender¹³ Nemanja Vidic slipped over on the edge of the area to concede possession to Andrea Pirlo.

The midfielder's cross was cleared only as far as Seedorf on the edge of the area, and the Dutchman jinked to his right before beating van der Sar with another low drive.

Milan began the second half as they finished the first, with Kaka bursting into the box and angling in a shot that the goalkeeper did well to keep out.

United were more industrious¹⁴ than they had been before the break, though they seemed no closer to scoring.

With 12 minutes remaining, Ferguson sent on Louis Saha as an additional striker in place of defender John O'Shea.

It was a gamble that backfired on him. With United team pushed upfield, Milan midfielder Massimo Ambrosini picked out Inzaghi's replacement¹⁵, Gilardino, with a long crossfield ball, and the Italy striker dashed into the area and fired past Van der Sar.

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