Edwin Van der Sar was the hero of a dramatic penalty shootout.

Cristiano Ronaldo made the breakthrough for United with his 42nd goal of the season in the 26th minute when he headed home at the back post.

However, Chelsea equalised on the stroke of half-time thanks to a cool finish from Frank Lampard.

Two minutes: Michael Essien commits the first foul on Cristiano Ronaldo.

21: Paul Scholes and Claude Makelele clash heads in midfield. The United man needs treatment for a facial wound but is able to return. Both players are booked.

26: MANCHESTER UNITED 1 CHELSEA 0. Ronaldo makes it 42 goals for the season with a free header at the far post from Wes Brown's left-footed cross.

27: Chelsea attempt to respond straight away but Michael Ballack's 20-yard shot flies high over the bar.

34: Ballack's pressure forces Rio Ferdinand to head towards his own goal from close range but Edwin van der Sar keeps it out.

35: United go straight down the other end after Wayne Rooney picks out Ronaldo. His cross is met by a diving header from Carlos Tevez that is kept out by Petr Cech. Michael Carrick fires in a shot from the rebound but Cech recovers to produce another good stop.

42: Rooney's cross is missed by Makelele but Tevez just fails to connect six yards out.

43: Ferdinand is booked for blocking Frank Lampard on the edge of the box. Ballack fires the free-kick over the bar.

45: MANCHESTER UNITED 1 CHELSEA 1. Chelsea enjoy a lucky break as Essien's deflected shot hits Ferdinand on the back and falls perfectly for Lampard.

45: Ricardo Carvalho is booked for a nasty studs-up challenge on Ronaldo as the half draws to a close.

68: Ferdinand goes down in his own area with what appears to be cramp but returns to the action after a couple of minutes of treatment.

77: Florent Malouda appears to be tripped by Ferdinand on the edge of the six-yard box but the referee gives a goal kick.

78: Didier Drogba fashions a brilliant right-footed shot from 20 yards that has Van der Sar beaten but cannons off the post.

87: United make the first change with Ryan Giggs replacing Scholes to make his 759th appearance for the club, breaking Sir Bobby Charlton's record.

94: Chelsea strike the woodwork again. Brilliant interplay between Ashley Cole, Ballack and Lampard sees the England midfielder hit the face of the bar with a spin and shot. Joe Cole cannot turn in the rebound.

100: Giggs has a glorious chance to put United back in front but he does not hit the ball cleanly with the goal gaping and John Terry deflects it over the bar.

111: Vidic takes out substitute Nicolas Anelka and is booked but Drogba sends the free-kick wide from 25 yards.

116: RED CARD. An ugly melee results in Drogba becoming only the second player, after Arsenal keeper Jens Lehmann in 2006, to be sent off in a Champions League final. Drogba sees red for slapping Vidic while Tevez, around whom the original incident centred, and Ballack are booked.

118: The flurry of cards continues as Essien is booked for fouling Ronaldo.

Penalties: After the first four penalties are scored, Ronaldo sees his kick saved by Cech. With a kick to win it at 4-4, Terry slips and hits the outside of the post. Into sudden death, Van der Sar is the hero by saving Anelka's kick as United triumph 6-5 on penalties.

United crowned kings of Europe