P is for...

As uefa.com Action's A to Z countdown to the UEFA Champions League final on 25 May continues, it is time for some great Ps.

Taking a penalty is for some the most pressurised situation in football - especially in a UEFA Champions League shoot-out. PSV Eindhoven reached this season's semi-finals with a shoot-out success against Olympique Lyonnais, and several finals have also been decided on spot kicks.

After the 2002/03 final at Old Trafford between AC Milan and Juventus FC ended goalless, Milan survived penalty misses by Clarence Seedorf and Kakha Kaladze thanks to Juve's David Trezeguet, Marcelo Zalayeta and Paolo Montero failing to find the target. Andriy Shevchenko held his nerve to score the winner.

The 2000/01 final also went to a shoot-out after a 1-1 draw between FC Bayern München and Valencia CF. Thomas Linke had put Bayern 5-4 ahead in the shoot-out, leaving Valencia's Mauricio Pellegrino to score to keep the Spanish side in the final. He missed and the rest is history.

FC Porto inscribed their name - and that of their coach José Mourinho - into the Champions League history books by winning the competition against the odds last season. Wins against Manchester United FC, Olympique Lyonnais and RC Deportivo La Coruña propelled the 2002/03 UEFA Cup winners to the final in Gelsenkirchen.

Their opponents, AS Monaco FC, proved to be no match for Porto at the Arena Aufschalke. Carlos Alberto set them on their way after 39 minutes and goals in the second half from Deco and Dmitri Alenitchev saw Porto lift the trophy following what proved to be Mourinho's last game before his move to Chelsea FC.

One of the stars of that beaten Monaco side in 2003/04 was big striker Dado Pršo who made a name for himself as Didier Deschamps' side won 8-3 against Deportivo at the Stade Louis II. During that game, the Croatian became only the third player in Champions League history to score four goals in a single match.

In fact after his opening goal in the 26th minute it took Pršo just 19 minutes to complete his hat-trick, making it the joint second fastest in Champions League history. When he found the target again at the start of the second half, it was his fourth goal in 23 minutes.

Pršo scored another goal in the semi-finals as Monaco battled their way past Chelsea and finished the campaign with seven goals. He joined Scottish side Rangers FC during the summer and will be itching for action in the Champions League again in 2005/06.