THE setting sun and stifling temperature soaked Manchester and Old Trafford in an unfamiliar golden haze last night.

The incredible was not just restricted to the weather however, as Juventus and AC Milan served up a sumptous feast of compelling football, justifying the Champions' League billing as football's biggest club prize.

Goals were notable by their absence but the pre-match predictions of a concrete, stale affair where Italy's suffocating love for the art of defending took centre stage, proved unfounded.

Instead, the 63,000 fans were treated to an enthralling and open encounter that oozed quality and class from every pore before climaxing with the ultimate drama of a penalty shoot-out.

The Italian fans played their part too in the sun-kissed spectacle.

Sir Matt Busby Way was awash with sunglasses and designer labels prior to kick-off to lend this ordinarily grim corner of Manchester a continental sheen.

But panache was matched by passion come kick-off as the Theatre of Dreams became the Theatre of Screams.

The countless songs the Italians sung from first minute to last were indecipherable - except for a cheeky rendition of You'll Never Walk Alone from the Milanese fans banked on the Stretford End, of all places - but the almost reckless emotion was not.

The noise made it impossible to think, which proved no bad thing in leaving no alternative but to sit back and enjoy.

Given the prize on offer, spot-kicks seem a most unsavoury way to determine the champions of Europe. But at least justice was done as Milan defied their underdog tag and claimed their sixth title.

The hero was the unlikely Dida. The Brazilian-born shot-stopper had looked Milan's weakest link during normal office hours but then saved three of Juve's spot-kicks to enable Andriy Shevchenko to fire home the decisive strike.

It was sweet justice too for Shevchenko, a player who balances incredible power with grace and poise, for the Ukrainian had seen a first half strike ruled out for offside.

The much sought-after legal goal failed to materialise thereafter but the tension never waned.

The theatrical dives, cynical fouls and wide-eyed appeals so ingrained in Italian football were all present.

But the artistry of Rui Costa and conductor-in-chief Clarence Seedorf outshone the shades of brutality as Milan dazzled their national champions.

Outshining everything was the sheer pace of the game, particularly in a mesmerising second half, as limbs and locks blurred into one and the ball zipped effortlessly across the Old Trafford baize.

Juventus poked and prodded but without the suspended Pavel Nedved never looked truly convincing, while Milan created the better chances and remained the more aggressive and adventurous throughout.

An uneventful extra-time proved a disappointment in comparison to what had gone before as the fear of defeat finally prevailed.

But nothing, not even the sour-tasting penalty shoot-out, could detract from what had been a night to remember.

Goal-less it may have been but spiritless it most certainly wasn't.

Updated: 11:26 Thursday, May 29, 2003