Rossoneri undaunted by United
AC Milan will look to turn the clock back almost 50 years when Manchester United FC visit the Giuseppe Meazza defending a 3-2 lead in the UEFA Champions League semi-final.
• It was in May 1958 in the last four of the European Champion Clubs' Cup that Milan became the first and so far only team to overturn a first-leg deficit against United in Europe's élite competition. Then as now Milan lost a lead at Old Trafford and succumbed to a late goal, going down 2-1 to a Tommy Taylor strike on 80 minutes.
• Milan undid the damage on home soil, however, as Juan Schiaffino (2), Nils Liedholm and Giancarlo Danova earned the Rossoneri a handsome 4-0 victory. Save for that reverse, United have won 22 ties in the European Cup and UEFA Champions League - qualifiers included - in which they have held an advantage from the first leg.
• United hold the upper hand this time thanks to Wayne Rooney's added-time winner in a thrilling first leg. Milan appeared in control at the interval at Old Trafford as they responded to Cristiano Ronaldo's early header with two goals from Kaká. However, Rooney made it 2-2 on 59 minutes before flashing the ball past Dida for a second time moments from the end.
• United are within one victory of a century of wins in the European Cup, including qualifying, a feat that has only been achieved by three other clubs. Real Madrid CF have been successful 173 times in Europe's premier club competition, followed by FC Bayern München (115) and semi-final rivals Milan (106).
• In 50 years of European competition, United have surrendered a winning position only four times, that 1958 loss to Milan included. The most recent instance was in the 1984/85 UEFA Cup quarter-finals against Székesfehérvári Videoton SC. Following a 1-0 home win they were then beaten by the same scoreline in Hungary before bowing out 5-4 on penalties.
• For their part, Milan have faced a first-leg deficit six times before in Europe's élite competition and won through on half of those occasions. Their most recent victory in these circumstances was in the 1968/69 first round where they overcame Malmö FF 4-1 on home soil after a 2-1 loss in Sweden.
• Their most recent defeat, meanwhile, was in last season's semi-final against FC Barcelona where they went down 1-0 at home before a goalless draw at the Camp Nou.
• The last time Milan retrieved a first-leg loss in any European club competition came in their UEFA Cup quarter-final against Hapoel Tel-Aviv FC in March 2002. After a 1-0 away reverse, Milan triumphed 2-0 at San Siro through a Rui Costa strike and Shimon Gershon's own goal.
• Milan have a 100 per cent record against United in two-legged contests. Following that first confrontation in the 1957/58 European Cup semi-final, the sides met again at the semi-final stage in 1968/69. Milan won 2-1 on aggregate, following up a 2-0 home success with a 1-0 defeat in Manchester, where present-day United director Sir Bobby Charlton found the net.
• The Rossoneri recorded 1-0 victories both at home and away in the teams' first knockout round encounter in 2004/05, Hernán Crespo claiming the only goal on both occasions.
• The teams for the second leg of that tie in Milan on 8 March 2005 were:
Milan: Dida, Cafu, Nesta, Stam, Maldini, Gattuso (Costacurta 88), Pirlo, Seedorf, Rui Costa (Dhorasoo 85), Kaká, Crespo (Ambrosini 78).
United: Howard, Brown (Smith 85), Ferdinand, Silvestre, Heinze, Ronaldo, Keane, Scholes, Rooney, Giggs (Fortune 57), Van Nistelrooy.
• Milan have never lost at home to English opposition, recording six wins and five draws in eleven matches.
• Carlo Ancelotti's side have had mixed fortunes at home in the UEFA Champions League this season. In the group stage they defeated AEK Athens FC 3-0 and RSC Anderlecht 4-1 before losing 2-0 to LOSC Lille Métropole with qualification already assured. In the first knockout round they beat Celtic FC 1-0 through Kaká's extra-time goal, thus securing an aggregate win by the same scoreline. Then in the quarter-finals they were held 2-2 at home by FC Bayern München before a 2-0 away success.
• United have lost three of five away games in their 2006/07 campaign. In the group stage they beat SL Benfica 1-0 in September but went down by the same score at Celtic FC and FC København. Ryan Giggs earned them a 1-0 win at Lille in the first knockout round – setting them on the path to a 2-0 aggregate success – while in the quarter-finals, they succumbed 2-1 at AS Roma but made amends in spectacular fashion with a 7-1 home triumph.
• That defeat at Roma was United's ninth in 12 visits to Italy. They have won only twice away to Serie A opposition but their first success was against a Juventus side under Milan coach Carlo Ancelotti in the 1999 UEFA Champions League semi-final. Famously United trailed 2-0 to two goals from Filippo Inzaghi – now a Milan player - before replying through efforts from Roy Keane, Dwight Yorke and Andy Cole to triumph 3-2 on the night and 4-3 overall.
• Milan are aiming to reach their tenth European Cup final and United their third. The Italian team's most recent final appearance was two years ago, where they lost to Liverpool FC on penalties after a 3-3 draw in Istanbul. It was in 1999, meanwhile, that United were last in the final, overcoming FC Bayern München 2-1 in Barcelona.
• Overall Milan have previously been semi-finalists eleven times in this competition and only twice have they failed to go on to the final – losing to Real Madrid CF in 1955/56 and to FC Barcelona last season. Milan reached the 1992/93 final direct from the group stage.
• United's record at this stage of Europe's élite competition is less impressive, their eight previous semi-finals bringing just two victories. The most recent of their six semi-final losses came five years ago when they went down on away goals to Bayer 04 Leverkusen.
• Milan would play another Premiership team if they reached the final. Besides their 2005 defeat by Liverpool, they have won their two other UEFA finals against English clubs. They defeated Leeds United AFC 1-0 in the 1972/73 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup final and Arsenal FC 2-0 on aggregate in the 1994 UEFA Super Cup, played in February 1995.
• United goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar played in Serie A between 1999 and 2001 with Juventus, while Mikaël Silvestre, out for the season with a shoulder injury, spent the 1998/99 campaign at Inter. His fellow French defender Patrice Evra also played in Italy in the late 1990s for Marsala Calcio and Monza Calcio but never in the top flight.
• The winners will face Liverpool in the final on 23 May in Athens and will be designated as the home team.
