2002/03: Shevchenko spot on for Milan

Juventus 0-0 AC Milan (aet, Milan win 3-2 on penalties)
Old Trafford, Manchester

The 2002/03 UEFA Champions League was dominated by Italy with three Serie A sides reaching the semi-finals. AC Milan, FC Internazionale Milano and Juventus FC all had strong claims to the title, but it was the Rossoneri who emerged victorious at Old Trafford. They had to do it the hard way, though, Andriy Shevchenko scoring the decisive spot-kick in the penalty shoot-out after a tense 120 goalless minutes against Juve.

Milan may have been kept off the scoresheet in Manchester, but it was one of the few occasions that Filippo Inzaghi did not find the net in a terrific campaign for Carlo Ancelotti's side. Inzaghi hit a hat-trick in Milan's rout of RC Deportivo La Coruña in the opening group stage and would finish as the tournament's leading scorer with 12 goals from 16 games.

In the second group stage Milan traded blows with defending champions Real Madrid CF, winning one game and losing the other, but they still finished top of Group C to set up a quarter-final meeting with AFC Ajax. The Dutch side were defeated 3-2 on aggregate, and city rivals Inter were Milan's reward in the semi-finals.

As expected, defences dominated both games. Inter held Milan to a goalless draw in the first leg, but home advantage counted for little in the rematch. Shevchenko broke the deadlock in added time at the end of the first half, and though Obafemi Martins set up a dramatic finish by scoring the equaliser with seven minutes to play, Milan held on to advance on the away-goals rule.

Juve had been pushed to the limit in their run to the final. The Bianconeri only narrowly progressed from the second group stage after losing three of their six games, and it took an extra-time goal from Marcelo Zalayeta to see off FC Barcelona in the quarter-finals. Juve then knocked out holders Madrid to earn a place against Milan in the final, which came just days after they had clinched the Scudetto. But Juve's celebrations were cut short in Manchester. Both sides hunkered down, and in the battle of the defences it was Milan who came out on top after penalties to become European champions for the sixth time.