Didier Drogba gets sent off for a petulant hand to the face of Nemanja Vidic. John Terry slips and put his penalty attempt off the post. And Edwin van der Sar saves the 14th kick of a penalty shootout.

Manchester United soccer manager Sir Alex Ferguson holds the trophy aloft after his team won the UEFA Champions League Final against Chelsea at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow, Russia, early today. Manchester United won the Champions League final after a penalty shoot-out.

Instead of another English Premier League or FA Cup game at Old Trafford, Stamford Bridge or Wembley, this drama was being played out half a continent away in Moscow's Luzhniki stadium, and resulted in Manchester United's 6-5 penalty shootout win over Chelsea to give the Reds their third European Cup crown.

The result -- which followed 1-1 draw from 120 minutes -- made Chelsea a runner-up for the third time and underscored United manager Alex Ferguson's belief that the Premier League had caught up with and probably overtaken the leagues of Spain, Italy and Germany.

"The improvement in the Premier League is very noticeable," said the veteran Scottish manager who has now won 22 titles in his 22 years at Old Trafford. "I am pleased because it was a fantastic game. I have watched finals in the past and they have not been very good because of the pressure."

Manchester United players celebrate with the trophy after winning the Champions League final soccer match at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow. United beat Chelsea 6-5 on penalties after the match eneded 1-1 after extra time.

With the rain increasing, Van der Sar dived to his right to block Nicolas Anelka's penalty attempt to give the Red Devils the title -- 10 days after United edged Chelsea to win the Premier League crown.

"That's the first penalty shootout I've ever won," Ferguson said. "I lost three with Aberdeen and three with United so it's seventh time lucky."

In a final that included a red card and all the flareups usually associated with meetings between English powerhouses, Cristiano Ronaldo put United ahead in the 26th minute. Frank Lampard equalized in the final minute of the first half.

In extra time, Chelsea hit the post and the bar before goalkeeper Petr Cech saved Ronaldo's penalty in the shootout. But Terry, stepping up for a chance to win the title, slipped and hit the right post.

"I was thinking he's going to score," Rio Ferdinand said of Terry, his defensive teammate on the England national team. "He's a great penalty taker normally but he slipped. Unfortunately someone's got to lose and tonight it's them."