Inter Milan 1 AC Milan 1
(Aggregate score: 1-1)
(AC Milan go through on away goals)
AC Milan won a place in the Champions League final tonight despite being held to a 1-1 draw by city rivals Inter Milan in a frantic semi-final, second leg derby at their shared San Siro stadium.
Milan, the away team in the tie, go through on the away goals rule to their ninth final and first since 1995 after last week's first leg ended scoreless.
Andriy Shevchenko netted the all-important away goal in first-half stoppage-time, taking advantage of some weak Inter defending to score from close range with his right foot.
Second-half substitute Obafemi Martins gave Inter hope when he cashed in on Alessandro Costacurta's error to slide home with seven minutes to play. But a late Inter onslaught failed to produce a winner with Milan goalkeeper Christian Abbiati's stunning save denying Mohammed Kallon.
Milan will now meet either Italian rivals Juventus or holders Real Madrid in the final at Old Trafford on May 28th.
Inter, who were still without first-choice striker Christian Vieri, absorbed early Milan pressure and tested Abbiati in the 13th minute. Marco Materazzi's chipped pass found Hernan Crespo pulling wide and his right-foot half volley was comfortably dealt with by the Milan goalkeeper.
Milan hit back through Shevchenko, who sped forward to collect Pirlo's 40-yard pass and flashed a raspimg volley inches wide.
But just as it appeared the half would end goalless, Milan broke the deadlock. Clarence Seedorf, a Champions League winner with Real Madrid in 1998, ran at the Inter defence and slipped the ball wide to Shevchenko. The former Dinamo Kyiv forward cut inside Ivan Cordoba before scooping the ball over the advancing Francesco Toldo for the opening goal.
Needing to score twice, Inter coach Hector Cuper brought on Martins and French midfielder Stephan Dalmat for Recoba and Di Biagio at the start of the second-half. But despite the arrival of fresh legs, it was Milan who posed the greater threat.
Shevchenko had a good chance to double his tally in the 61st minute when he cut in from the left flank and saw Toldo off his line, but the Ukrainian's chip cleared the crossbar by inches.
Despite looking dead and buried, Martins breathed life into Inter when Costacurta's scuffed clearance fell nicely for him and the 18-year-old Nigerian slid the ball under Abbiati's body for the equaliser.
Second-half substitute Kallon came agonisingly close as Inter poured forward, but Milan held on bravely to clinch a place in the Old Trafford final.
Inter:1-Francesco Toldo; 4-Javier Zanetti, 13-Fabio Cannavaro, 23-Marco Materazzi, 2-Ivan Cordoba; 7-Sergio Conceicao, 14-Luigi Di Biagio (18-Stephane Dalmat 46), 6-Cristiano Zanetti, 5-Belozoglu Emre; 9-Hernan Crespo (3-Mohammed Kallon 71), 20-Alvaro Recoba (30-Obafemi Martins 46)
Milan:18-Christian Abbiati; 19-Alessandro Costacurta, 13-Alessandro Nesta, 3-Paolo Maldini, 4-Kakha Kaladze; 8-Gennaro Gattuso, 21-Andrea Pirlo (32-Cristian Brocchi 89), 20-Clarence Seedorf; 10-Rui Costa (23-Massimo Ambrosini 64); 7-Andriy Shevchenko, 9-Filippo Inzaghi (27-Serginho 80).
AFP