PARIS, April 23: Two superb goalkeeping performances by Inter Milan’s Francesco Toldo and Juventus’ Gianluigi Buffon saw their clubs through to the Champions League semifinals on Tuesday at the expense of Spanish duo Valencia and Barcelona respectively.

Inter Milan went down 2-1 in Valencia but went through on away goals after the match ended 2-2 on aggregate thanks to Toldo’s superb display and are on course for a semifinal clash with city rivals AC should they prevail over Ajax on Wednesday.

It gave Inter’s disciplinarian Argentine coach Hector Cuper a moment to savour as he saw off the team he took to two successive Champions League finals.

Buffon meanwhile justified his tag as the world’s most expensive goalkeeper as he defied Barca time and again and despite being reduced to 10-men after Edgar Davids had received a record fourth red card in the competition they won the match in extra-time 2-1 — 3-2 on aggregate — with a goal by Marcelo Zalayeta.

Juventus will play either holders Real Madrid or Manchester United — who beat them twice in the second round group stage — in the semifinals as coach Marcello Lippi endeavours to repeat his feat of taking the trophy with the ‘old lady’ achieved back in 1996.

Inter got off to the best possible start with Christian Vieri seizing on a slip-up by Roberto Ayala and putting the ball away on his second attempt after Santiago Canizares had palmed away his first shot.

However Valencia were level inside two minutes as outstanding Argentinian playmaker Pablo Aimar sidestepped his marker and put the ball in the far corner past Toldo for his first goal since Jan 26.

Toldo though stood tall while his defence crumbled under a vicious onslaught by Valencia as time after time he pulled off remarkable saves and made quite clear his displeasure at their inability to repel the Spaniards by gesticualting furiously at veteran Italian international Luigi di Biagio.

Despite Ruben Baraja scoring a deserved second for Valencia midway through the second-half there was just no getting past Toldo and the Inter half of Milan can thank him for securing their first ever Champions League last four spot and first semifinal in Europe’s top club competition since 1981.

Juventus’s victory — their first win in Spain in 33 years — was gained in adversity as they progressed to the last four of the Champions League for the fifth time.

Czech ace Pavel Nedved gave them the lead eight minutes into the second-half after a great lay-off by Davids but Barca got back on terms as Xavi rattled in his first of the campaign 13 minutes later.

Tuesday’s results:

Quarterfinals (second leg):

In Valencia:

Valencia 2 Inter Milan 1

First leg: 0-1; aggregate result 2-2. Inter Milan win on away goals rule

In Barcelona:

Barcelona 1 Juventus 2

First leg: 1-1; Juventus win 3-2 on aggregate after extra time.—AFP/Reuters