photo: sina

Wayne Rooney scored twice including an injury-time winner to give Manchester United a 3-2 victory over AC Milan in their UEFA Champions League semifinal first leg at home on Tuesday.

Rooney pulled United back into the match when he leveled the score at 2-2 after 59 minutes and his winner gives United a narrow advantage into the second leg in Milan next Wednesday.

Milan keeper Dida palmed a Cristiano Ronaldo header into his own net in the fifth minute, before Brazilian Kaka put AC Milan ahead 2-1.

When United looked to be out of the tie, Rooney's double has set up a pulsating decider at the San Siro next Wednesday.

The winners will face either Liverpool or Chelsea in the final in Athens on May 23.

United manager Alex Ferguson said "I thought we played some fantastic football and dominated the game. The equaliser gave us the incentive to go on and win it and the late goal gives us a magnificent chance of winning the tie now."

United, who lost to Milan 1-0 in the 2005 knockout round, had to field a patched-up defence after injuries to Rio Ferdinand, Gary Neville, Mikael Silvestre, Nemanja Vidic and Kieran Richardson.

United drew the first blood when Ronaldo met a Ryan Giggs corner with a header that Dida parried into his own net.

Then came Kaka who latched on to Clarence Seedorf's through-ball and rifled a low left-foot shot past Edwin van der Sar.

In the 37th minute, Kaka surged forward on a solo run, outmaneuvering a string of United players to sweep the ball past ahelpless Van der Sar from close range.

Kaka, the Champions League's top scorer this season, took his tally to nine and left United facing their first home defeat since a Premier League loss to Arsenal in September.

After Kaka lost two quick chances to reach his hat-trick, Paul Scholes lifted a ball over the Milan's defense and Rooney was able to chest it down before beating Dida from close range after the break.

Ronaldo, who won two domestic Player of the Year awards, nearly won it for United in the closing stages with low shot that flew just wide of the post.

However, Rooney made up for it by collecting a Giggs pass on the break and steered a low shot past Dida to send Old Trafford into ecstasy.

Editor: Donald