Manchester United 3 Milan 2: Rooney saves best until last to give United a fighting chance in Milan

For an hour it was shaping up to be Cristiano Ronaldo against Kaka for a place in the Champions League final - one straight duel between the Portuguese dribble king and the brilliant Brazilian playmaker. But that was before one rampaging Englishman scored the winning goal, turned this tie on its head and reminded the football world that Wayne Rooney will not languish in the shadows for long.

What a way to steal the show. There were two Rooney goals in the second half - including an injury-time winner - as the lead changed hands as often as a new hero emerged. From Ronaldo's explosive start to Kaka's two sumptuous goals and then finally on to Rooney, this was a tie that was illuminated by individual talents. A tie which could yet go either way in the San Siro next Wednesday. United's slender lead is perilous, the form of Rooney invaluable.

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From triumph to despair and back again, this was a match that takes its place among the canon of Old Trafford European classics. From 2-1 down to 3-2 winners at the death, United might have been naive in defence but they were unrelenting in attack. And short of prising Ronaldo's fingers one-by-one from his two PFA player of the year trophies, Rooney could not have done a better job at ambushing his team-mate in the limelight.

This was Rooney at his very best, marauding through the Milan defence and scoring goals when it mattered most on a night when he could so easily have slipped into anonymity. Ronaldo dazzled but for all those whose football world does not extend much beyond the Premiership there was a reminder of the astonishing talent of Kaka - a player who seems to have as much claim on that nebulous title of the very best in the world as the United winger.

As for Rooney, he left it late to make his case. He was consigned to be the lone striker for long periods of this match, a role that does not seem to suit his game or his temperament, as England discovered at the World Cup. And just as he seemed destined to be a footnote to this extraordinary night he emerged as the decisive factor. The lead he gives United will be fragile in the San Siro, but Sir Alex Ferguson says that he now feels that his side have the edge over Milan.

For this Italian team, that old paranoia about an English team that refuses to die resurfaced. Just as Liverpool came back in Istanbul two years ago, so it seems that Milan will not send United quietly into the night. Without Rino Gattuso in the second half, Milan faltered badly and, at times, seemed gripped by the fear that they might throw it all away again.

There was a bomb scare in the area around the Old Trafford changing rooms an hour after the game had ended, although it is the anxiety over injuries and suspensions that is taking its toll on United. Patrice Evra was booked last night and is suspended for next Wednesday's game while Gabriel Heinze proved himself erratic - with the occasional moment of brilliance - at centre-back. It makes Nemanja Vidic's potential early return for the return leg all the more crucial.

Watched by a Glazer brothers' contingent, United were exceptional in the opening stages. Ferguson spoke in his programme notes about the nirvana of that 7-1 victory over Roma, a performance, he said, comes about "half a dozen" times in a lifetime. Fifteen minutes gone and he might have felt like amending that figure to seven.

Ronaldo was an unstoppable force, impossible for Milan to locate and collecting possession in the centre and on both wings. Only five minutes had elapsed when Darren Fletcher dinked a ball to Rooney whose volleyed shot was deflected wide by Alessandro Nesta. From Ryan Giggs' corner, Ronaldo's header was flicked upwards by Dida who then scrabbled the ball into the net. It was not a beautiful goal but the urgent, imaginative start that United had made threatened many more.

In those opening 15 minutes, Milan looked like they were there for the taking. Bewildered by Ronaldo, disbelieving that they could suffer the same fate as Roma, they were then granted a stay of execution. On 14 minutes, Fletcher spread a smart ball right to Giggs and his cross picked out Michael Carrick. The shot was drilled into the ground, taking enough pace off it for Dida to save.

Thrilling though Ronaldo had been, a rival for his mastery was emerging at the other end of the field. A through-ball from Clarence Seedorf on 22 minutes and Kaka was off and running, gliding into the penalty area, the possibility of a meaningful tackle receding with every stride. Heinze tried a woefully late one but Kaka had long since angled his shot past Edwin van der Sar and into the far corner.

Ronaldo took the game back to Milan, Kaka trumped him again. His second goal came from a long kick from Dida in the 37th minute that he chased down the left channel with Heinze. A header and flick later and Kaka had looped the ball away from the Argentine who compounded his mistake by crashing into Evra. In the meantime, Kaka tucked his second goal away.

At half-time it looked hopeless for United, even more so when Carrick missed a glorious back-post chance from a Giggs' corner three minutes after the break. On the hour they seized their moment. Carrick threaded the ball through to Scholes, he scooped the ball to Rooney and the striker bustled through before unleashing a shot that Dida could parry but not prevent from rolling in.

The chase was on. Giggs, Scholes, Carrick, even Fletcher, who had one of his better games, orchestrated the midfield. Then in the closing stages, Giggs broke forward down the right and played a ball to Rooney in the inside-right channel. He struck it outside the area and beat Dida at his near post. The final flourish of the night was his which, given the competition, was some achievement. Cast in Ronaldo's shadow this season, Rooney is picking some moment to step into the light.

Manchester United (4-5-1): Van der Sar; Evra, Heinze, Brown, O'Shea; Ronaldo Fletcher, Carrick, Scholes, Giggs; Rooney. Substitutes not used: Kuczszak (gk), Smith, Solskjaer, Fangzhuo, Richardson, Eagles, Lee.

Milan (4-3-2-1): Dida; Oddo, Nesta, Maldini (Bonera, h-t), Jankulovski; Gattuso (Brocchi, 52), Pirlo, Ambrosini; Seedorf, Kaka; Gilardino (Gourcuff, 84). Substitutes not used: Kalac (gk), Cafu, Inzaghi, Favalli.

Referee: K Vassaras (Greece).