Liverpool's bid to win its second European crown in three years was quashed by AC Milan who got their revenge for 2005 Champions League final defeat with a 2-1 victory in Athens.

Liverpool's ploy of playing with a lone striker and two defensive midfielders seemed to have paid off at the start, but a freak deflection from Filippo Inzaghi just seconds from the half time whistle put Milan in the driving seat. Both the teams started strongly, trading punches at regular intervals.

Marek Jankulovski's mistake cleared the way on goal for Jermaine Pennant, but his shot produced a fine save from Dida. Kaka then forced a save from Reina; while Alonso saw his shot go agonizingly wide of the goal. However it was Alonso's foul on Kaka 20 yards out that led to the first goal.

Andrea Pirlo's free kick took a deflection off Inzaghi's chest and into the goal, as the helpless Reina was left wrong-footed. Liverpool tried to grab the initiative in the second half, but were unable to stamp their authority on the game.

Liverpool got its best chance of the match in the 62nd minute when Steven Gerrard latched on to a poor pass by Gattuso. However his shot was splendidly saved by Dida and Liverpool missed the chance to get back into the match.

Benitez's attempts to change the formation by bringing on Peter Crouch for Mascherano failed miserably as it allowed for space for Kaka who was kept subdued for large parts of the first half. The Brazilian ace made most of the opportunity, feeding Inzaghi who slid in his, and Milan's second of the game.

Dirk Kuyt got one back in the 89th minute, but it was too little too late for Liverpool as Milan won its seventh Champions League crown. Benitez admitted that bringing on Crouch for Mascherano was a calculated risk that backfired badly.

"It allowed us to take more risks in attack but then we lost control of the midfield. Unfortunately, when you do that against a side like Milan, they can kill you with one opportunity. It only takes one pass from Kaka and that is what happened", he said.

He also made his anger against the referee known, stating that the referee should have waited for the time given before sounding the whistle. "It is not an excuse but I am disappointed. After Dirk scored, we were confident we could get another but I was surprised by the lack of time we were given. It could have made a difference but in the end, I suppose you need to score in the 90 minutes."

This was AC Milan skipper Paulo Maldini’s night as he held aloft the coveted trophy. Maldini said this might be the perfect way to end a glittering career, but he also expressed a wish to carry on for another year hoping to make it to his sixth European final.

Meanwhile Benitez believes that his team will have to spend big in the transfer market if they are to have any chances of competing with the big teams, both at home and abroad. "When you see the quality of some of the other teams, it is clear. If we want to be close to United and Chelsea and to have another chance in the Champions League, we need to go two steps at a time. I hope I get the backing to do that", he added.

His counterpart at AC Milan Carlo Ancelotti has no such worries at the moment as he hailed the win as the greatest ever in his career. It may be recalled that Milan almost did not compete in the tournament because they were fined due to a bribery scandal involving referees back home.

From almost being kicked out of the tournament to being crowned champions is a fine achievement indeed!. During the 2006-07 season we covered all Champions League football live from the qualifying stage through to the finals. Sign up ready for next seasons tournament with Free Football TV the number one choice for live streaming football and live football feeds online.