Adriano Galliani, the Milan acting president:
"We're calm and we can turn it around in the San Siro.
"I think United will be less aggressive at the San Siro. Why? Because they won't have this amazing Old Trafford crowd behind them. This game was balanced until the end and then Rooney broke it. It happens."
Milan's Massimo Ambrosini:
"That late goal will force us to play an attacking match - but that might not be a negative aspect.
"A 2-2 draw would have allowed us to play a waiting game. Instead, now we know we must win."
AC's Alessandro Nesta:
"We thought we were out of danger, like against Bayern Munich [in the previous round, where a two-goal lead was lost], but it didn't turn out that way.
"Anyway, we will fight next week. They were fired up thanks to their fans, but the return leg will be different. I am sure we can do it."
Kaka:
"After five minutes there is obviously the fear that Manchester can go goal crazy. Our thoughts went back to Roma, seeing how quickly they managed to score. That is why my equaliser was so important and why I celebrated so much.
"It is a sour defeat. It was a psychological problem. The whole team went too deep and we paid for that as United have great movement and you need to really push them to keep them down. But I believe we are favourites. Now we hope our home fans will help us to reach the final.
"I believe we are favourites.
"It's a very bitter result that gives us little margin for error but I'm convinced Milan can go through.
"After the 2-2 draw (in the quarter-final first leg) with Bayern Munich we had to get a great result away from home. Now we have to win but we've got the advantage of playing at home.
"We will have to play like United did against us. We will have to show we've got great personality and enormous energy because we face a real battle."
Gattuso:
"I will do everything I can to play at the San Siro:
"I've managed to recover quickly from this problem before so I won't rule myself out. I still think Milan can come back and win this game so I will still dream about European glory.
"This result burns. We are really angry. But do not fear because in the return leg we still have a chance. At Old Trafford, we have proved to be a great team and we shouldn't fear Manchester.
"It's going to be difficult but it would have been the same if the result was 2-2."
Defender Massimo Oddo:
"We were stupid. We played a great first half and their second goal was fine but then we missed several opportunities to make it 3-1."
Maldini, about his injury:
"The knee swelled up and the pain became unbearable. It will be difficult to recover for the return leg.
"It will be a difficult match for Milan. We didn't deserve to lose at Old Trafford but the English side put in a fantastic performance. They fought right to the limit and showed great self-belief. We will have to follow their example."
Carlo Ancelotti (manager):
"Dida made some great saves. The first goal wasn't an easy save because Cristiano Ronaldo was in front of him.
"Perhaps he should have covered the near post in Manchester's third goal."
Carrick:
"It's all set up nicely now. To win the game was great and we're still confident we can finish the job off.
"To concede two goals but then come back like we did to win it was a big boost for us because we didn't think it was going to be our night. It's still only half-time and there's a long way to go before we can start thinking about the final. But to win this tie was unbelievable - we've done it before and we'll do it again."
"What can you say, the last finish was brilliant. [Rooney winner]
"He could see the gap and to put it away was brilliant for us. He is a world-class player already and he is still young. I am sure there is more to come from him."
Giggs:
"We wanted to keep a clean sheet because away goals are key in this competition.
"We didn't want to give away one goal, let alone two, so that has knocked the stuffing out of us a little bit.
"We'll probably have to defend better in the away leg but we're capable of doing that. It's going to be difficult, as it always is in the San Siro, but we saw enough in the second half to show we can get a good result if we keep our character and nerve. At the moment we feel that we're going to create chances every time we go out."
Ferguson:
* "I don't think the injuries have fazed us. It is about using the squad and Darren Fletcher was outstanding against Milan."
* "Kaka should have scored but instead he gave us a lifeline. [hatrick chance]. And you always need luck in games of that nature."
The Guardian:
With Manchester United it is never over until the fat lady has collapsed in a wheezing heap. "No other team scores as many late goals as us," Sir Alex Ferguson likes to boast, and whatever happens in the remainder of this season's Champions League there can be no doubting their current status as the most exciting team in Europe. "Fantastique Manchester United" was one headline in France yesterday as the world's press salivated over another exhilarating demonstration of attacking, one-touch, stylishly penetrative football.
The accolades are richly deserved given the way Ferguson's players seem intent on obliterating the reputation of Italian defending but, amid the euphoria of Wayne Rooney's late and dramatic winner in Tuesday's 3-2 win over Milan, it should not be overlooked that the Rossoneri's players were also claiming a victory as they left Old Trafford. With two away goals, nothing can be taken for granted in the second leg.
The news from Milan's training ground last night was good for Carlo Ancelotti and bad for Ferguson, namely that Paolo Maldini should be fit for the second leg, having lasted only 45 minutes on Tuesday, and that Gennaro Gattuso is fine despite his rather hammy departure on a stretcher. Rooney, it should be noted, did not peak until Maldini's withdrawal and even though Gattuso failed to exert his usual influence he is such an important player for Milan that the visitors suffered without him. Cristian Brocchi, his 52nd-minute replacement, was responsible for losing the ball to Ryan Giggs in the build-up to Rooney's second goal.
Ferguson was again invigorated by his team's performance and sufficiently emboldened to talk of his players being in a "fantastic position". They will begin at San Siro as favourites but the word "marginal" should be applied and if that sounds pessimistic then refer to what Ferguson himself said after United lost the first leg of their quarter-final against Roma at the Stadio Olimpico. On that occasion he said the 2-1 deficit represented a "good result" because "the away goals are invaluable in these two-legged fixtures".
Gabriel Heinze is a feisty left-back but has not been the same player since rupturing knee ligaments 19 months ago and was partly culpable for both of Kaka's goals, outpaced for one and outmanoeuvred for the other. Those lapses may make it imperative for United's attacking players to take the game to Milan, searching for an away goal of their own, rather than being cagey. Despite United's reputation for going "goal crazy", as Kaka put it, Ferguson frequently tries a more defensive 4-5-1 formation on the club's European excursions.