Defending champion Manchester United reaches Champions League final with 3-1 win at Arsenal

Man United reaches Champions League final again

LONDON — Defending champion Manchester United advanced to the European Champions League final, winning 3-1 at Arsenal on Tuesday night as world player of the year Cristiano Ronaldo scored two goals and set up another.

Park Ji-sung also scored for Manchester United, which won the home-and-home, total-goals series on 4-1 aggregate and will play in the May 27 final at Rome against Chelsea or Barcelona.

Chelsea, which lost last year’s final to Manchester United on penalty kicks, hosts the Spanish leader on Wednesday night following a 0-0 tie last week in the first leg at Spain. Manchester United is trying to become the first team to win consecutive titles since AC Milan in 1989 and 1990.

Park scored on the eighth minute following a slip by defender Kieran Gibbs, who tried to intercept Ronaldo’s cross. Ronaldo made it 2-0 three minutes later with a swerving 35-yard free kick. that beat goalkeeper Manuel Almunia.

Ronaldo started and scored on a 61st-minute counterattack. He backheeled the clearance to Park, wo sent the ball to Wayne Rooney, who then crossed to the FIFA player of the year.

Robin van Persie converted a penalty kick for Arsenal in the 76th minute after Darren Fletcher was ejected from pulling down Cesc Fabregas in the penalty area.

Fletcher will be suspended for the final. United manager Alex Ferguson was so comfortable that he removed Rooney and defender Patrice Evra for the last 25 minutes, ensuring that neither picked up a yellow card that would have caused them to be suspended for the final.