Forget all the pre-game talk about this not being about revenge, about Rafael Benitez's tactical nous, forget all that. But don't forget Istanbul.

Before the game I came across an article previewing the final by a former player with Champions League Final experience. He said that when the ref blows the whistle it's just about football in the players' minds. I doubted him, and my doubts were soon vindicated.

Both teams played well below their potential; maybe this had something to do with the scorching conditions but it all seemed psychological from the word go. Rafa Benitez's charges covered the pitch well but seemed to be expending too much energy doing so. Every time they were given an opportunity to create danger, their technical ability betrayed them. The much maligned Nelson Dida stood tall between the Milan posts.

Milan were slowish bringing the ball out of defence. Several kindergarten errors were made with regards to ball distribution, and with Liverpool pressing high up on the pitch, Rossoneri defenders gave the ball away a few times, each of which might have had a disastrous result.

Benitez was economical with the truth about not putting a man on Kaka; Javier Mascherano was all over him and almost took the Brazilian out of the game. The midfield tussle was ugly and I'm sure neutrals will have a lot to say about the overall entertainment value of the fixture. I understand their frustration. I watched the whole game consumed in fear; I knew we were only thinking about one thing, we just wanted to make sure that at the final whistle we would not be feeling like we did two years ago.

I am confident in my team, but in a final anything can happen, so even when we were 1-0 up I couldn't relax, knowing Liverpool's DNA.

I went into the break feeling as if we had no advantage whatsoever. The second half was no improvement - all I did was watch the clock. Liverpool kept finding more and more space and Milan couldn't even string a bunch of passes together and hold possession. Kaka was incorrectly blown up for offside after a series of one-touch passes/headers. Then Milan put the nail in the coffin after Kaka found Filippo Inzaghi, who neatly tucked the ball under the onrushing Pepe Reina to make it 2-0.

When Liverpool pulled one back, it was too late. There was no way back. Justice was done and Milan avoided eternal ridicule from their cugini and the ensuing psychological damage from a second defeat by the Scousers. Paolo Maldini and several others can now hang up their boots in style, because seriously, with European football becoming more and more physical, this Milan team may not continue being as dominant without a serious injection of pace and strength.

Liverpool will put this defeat behind them and continue to grow under Benitez. As a Milan fan I will probably have fonder memories of the second leg against Manchester United as the final was played in conditions that prevented us from producing our best football. I seriously underestimated Liverpool but I understand that 'revenge' is not the right mentality for your players before a big game. Milan were classy after the game, maybe a lesson or two in humility was learned after Istanbul.

Ten years after thrashing Barcelona in Athens, Milan inch closer to Real Madrid and Italy continues to dominate after winning the World Cup. It's been a good year. Inter fans? That's another story...