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| May 3, 2002 | Friday | Safar 19, 1423 |
Real Madrid qualify for final after tense draw
MADRID, May 2: Real Madrid saw off a furious second-half fightback from Barcelona to clinch a 1-1 draw at the Bernabeu Wednesday and move through to the Champions League final on a 3-1 aggregate.
The eight times European Cup winners, leading 2-0 from the first leg, were put under intense pressure in the second half after an Ivan Helguera own goal in the 48th minute had equalised Raul’s opener two minutes before the break.
Barca had plenty of chances in a game that went ahead despite a car bomb blast opposite the ground four hours before kickoff but Real stayed firm and they will go on to play what will be their 12th European Cup final against Bayer Leverkusen at Glasgow’s Hampden Park on May 15.
“We had to suffer a lot and it was very hard work,” Raul told Spanish state television after the game. “We knew it would be hard work, but thanks to the support of the home crowd we got through.”
The Spanish international striker said he was now looking forward to an exciting final against Leverkusen.
“Bayer deserved to make the final as they showed they were superior to Manchester United. They have some very dangerous players up front and I am sure it will be a great final.”
Barcelona, just as they had in the first leg at the Nou Camp, enjoyed most of the early possession.
With Brazilian forward Rivaldo once again missing with a knee injury, they were deprived of their most likely route to goal and Real were only really threatened by a series of freekicks from Xavi that were nervously cleared.
On the rare occasions Real managed to move forward they did so with menace and on 20 minutes Zinedine Zidane almost got a goal, taking a flat pass from the left and drifting a first-time shot just over.
Guti then saw his shot blocked at the near post by Roberto Bonano after Figo’s neat ball had created the chance.
Barca came within a whisker of scoring on 39 minutes when Fabio Rochemback struck from right. Cocu slid in to deflect the ball on to a post and Patrick Kluivert was denied a simple rebound chance by Michel Salgado and Cesar, the keeper getting a face full of studs for his trouble.
Real finally opened the scorin