On This Day: Manchester United win Club World Cup

In 2008, Manchester United beat Premier League rivals Chelsea in the final of the Champions League to book their place in the fifth FIFA Club World Cup in Japan.

© Getty Images

As European champions, Sir Alex Ferguson's side entered the competition in the semi-finals, where they came up against Japanese side Gamba Osaka.

United made sure of their spot in the final with a 5-3 win over the local team, with Wayne Rooney, Cristiano Ronaldo, Darren Fletcher and Nemanja Vidic all on the scoresheet for the English club.

The victory set up a meeting with LDU Quito of Ecuador, who had beaten Fluminense in the Copa Libertadores de America final earlier that year.

On this day six years ago, the South American champions faced United for the cup at the International Stadium in Yokohama, with the then-Premier League champions aiming to become just the second European team to win the event, after AC Milan had ended South America's dominance the year before.

© Getty Images

It looked like it would be an easy night for the English club in the first half as they peppered the Quito goal, but Jose Cevallos denied Rooney, Carlos Tevez and Park Ji Sung in the opening 45 minutes.

Ronaldo created a few chances, but was lacking the finishing touch in the first half, before Park saw his effort parried and Tevez his finish comfortably held.

Park had the best opportunity before the break when Anderson picked him out with a long ball at the back post, but he sliced a miscued shot high.

Their chances were dealt a blow early in the second half when Vidic was sent off for elbowing Claudio Bieler, just four minutes after the restart.

Despite facing the prospect of playing 40 minutes a man short, United continued to press, and finally got the breakthrough in the 73rd minute when Ronaldo set Rooney up with a pass out wide, leaving the England striker to slot the ball into the bottom corner with a powerful finish.

Edwin van der Sar had to make a save late on to make sure of the win for the European champions as Alejandro Manso tried a couple of long-range efforts, but he could not get the better of the keeper.

United's 2008 victory remains the only time that an English side has won the competition, with Liverpool and Chelsea both finishing as runners-up in 2005 and 2012 respectively.

Ronaldo left Old Trafford to join Real Madrid just a few months after this victory, and lifted the cup for the second time yesterday, as the La Liga side beat San Lorenzo 2-0.