Match Report: Wednesday 26/04/2006 20:45 (GMT+2): Champions League 2nd Leg

AC Milan 0 – FC Barcelona 0
Camp Nou, Barcelona – attendance: 98.000


Referee: Markus Merk (German)


FC Barcelona (4-3-3): Valdés – Belletti, Puyol, Marquez, Gio – Deco, Edmilson, Iniesta, - Giuly (Larsson '69) , Eto'o ( Van Bommel '82), Ronaldinho – Manager: Frank Rijkaard




Ac Milan: Dida - Stam, Kaladze, Costacurta (Cafu '64), Serginho - Gatusso (Rui Costa '68), Pirlo, Seedorf, Kaká - Shevchenko, Inzaghi (Gilardino '79) - Manager: Carlo Ancelotti

Frank Rijkaard's Barca team finished off the job they had so impressively started at the San Siro eight days earlier. An exciting 0-0 draw and following Barca´s spectacular season, surely nobody can doubt Barcelona's presence in the showpiece game of European football in Paris. FC Barcelona will meet Arsenal in the Champions League final on May 17 after Barca secured a thrilling 1-0 semi-final aggregate win over AC Milan. Barça maintained their unbeaten run in the Champions League with an outstanding display against Milan. Ludovic Giuly's first-leg strike was enough to send the big favourite Barca through to play Arsenal in the Champions League final in Paris.
The match started at a magnificient pace. Just about 15 seconds after the kick-off, Jaap Stam lifted the ball down at Milan 's right for Kaká who fired his shot wide at the far post. But Barca were soon in control of the match, trying to march on and try to strike a decisive blow but Barca´s top scorer Samuel Eto'o was denied twice by excellent saves from Dida, who blocked the Cameroon striker's efforts by rushing out from the goal line.


Then Ronaldinho showed his class with a fine move and a shot from distance that went just centimeters over the crossbar. The only other small chance Milan had in the first half was produced by Andrei Shevchenko who hit the side of the net.

An again AC Milan started well into the second half. Shevchenko's diving header went straight into Victor Valdes' arms after Clarence Seedorf's well perfectly timed cross.
But Barca took control again and created a fantastic chance to decide the semi final. Juliano Belletti totally missed the ball after Giuly's cross had found him free about 7 meters in front of the goal.

Barca continued to put pressure on Milan still trying to score the goal that would have been probably enough to sent FC Barcelona into the Champions League final. Ronaldinho tested Dida with two of his trademark free-kicks, while Giuly volleyed over the cross bar from a tight angle on the right.
Then a shock second for Barca and the nearlys 100,000 supporters. Shevchenko went up into the air and headed the ball past Valdes into the Barca goal. But the goal was disallowed by German referee Markus Merk who saw a foul on Barca defender Carles Puyol before scoring.

In the final period of this classy game Barca produced some good chances to score. First, it was substitute Henrik Larsson who was near to score the winning goal. A great and perfectly timed cross found Swedish international Larsson just in front of the goal. The strong diving header was saved superbly by the Brazilian international goalkeeper who kept Milan in the game. Then 1 minute later Deco´s shot was not precise enough to get around Milan´s keeper Dida.
Milan tried everything to go forward at the end of the game but Barca defended well in the last minutes, denying Milan even the smallest opportunity to score.

Barca deserves to go through to the final in Paris because it was the better team in both legs. The match saw the two best teams currently in Europe fighting it out to play the final.
FC Barcelona´s glorious displays and performance in the Champions League so far will let Barca travel in a very confident mood to Paris to show another magnificient attacking display against Arsenal next month.

SI, SI, SI... NOS VAMOS A PARIS!