Milan’s victory in the Champions League Final was well deserved. It has nothing to do with avenging an embarrassing defeat from two years ago. It has nothing to do with trying to better the perception of Italian soccer as a whole after the match-fixing scandal.

Milan won the game because they did the most important thing - finish.

Liverpool were better in midfield on the night, and that resulted in good possession for them. They managed to back Milan into their own half a little bit more. That’s not something Milan were used to. Dirk Kuyt was a menace up front, nipping at the heels of every Rossoneri defender, trying to break up the play. Javier Mascherano kept Kaka very quiet, something that none of the other clubs from the group stage to the semi-finals were able to do.

So why didn’t it all pay off? The answer is simple: Milan finished off their chances.

Liverpool had the possession, the shots, the pressure. They had the man-marking perfected, and options on the bench to change the match in their favour. Kuyt was operating alone up front, and his work ethic was  rewarded with a goal late on, but it was too late to affect the outcome.

Let’s be honest: Off Filippo Inzaghi’s arm or not, Milan finished off their two best chances of the game, and they won because of it.

There are dozens of matches to reflect upon where the same thing has happened. The FA Cup Final of 2005, where Manchester United were the better team, had more possession and four times the number of shots on target, then lost in a penalty shoot-out. When Arsenal had the chance, they put United away.

Another Arsenal match against West Ham, this time at the Emirates Stadium, was a similar story. The Gunners were at  their rampant best, while West Ham were fighting for survival. Arsenal had dozens of shots on target and couldn’t find the net. The Hammers had one decent chance to score, and they did. The game finished 1-0, and was completely forgettable if you’re an Arsenal fan.

Inzaghi did what he’s known for - finishing a move. He brought an end product to the work done by his team-mates. Like it or not, he’s the reason that Milan won the match, and the trophy. It certainly wasn’t their dominance, or their ability to play a near-perfect 90-minute match (as seen against Manchester United at the San Siro).

Tough to swallow for Liverpool fans, and understandably so. But when Rafa Benitez is cleaning house and creating turbulent transfer gossip, look at the roster and the potential targets carefully. Craig Bellamy and Robbie Fowler are both bound to leave Mersyside and it’s because they’ve lost the ability to finish.

Hopefully Benitez can turn his tactical nous into shrewd business connections.