Final spot

Barcelona has secured a place in the Champions League final for the third time in five years with a 1-1 draw at home against Real Madrid on Tuesday.

The second leg of their semi-final was another tetchy contest with six yellow cards - five to Real players - after an ugly first round.

Barca enjoyed the best chances on the rain-slick pitch, creating chance after chance, but Real goalkeeper Iker Casillas made a brilliant series of saves before Pedro's 54th minute strike. Marcelo equalized 10 minutes later, with a setup from Angel Di Maria.

Real's challenge then petered out and they never seemed capable of pulling of a miracle.

A classic rivalry

The Spanish derby, widely known as El Clasico, is among the fiercest of rivalries in world football. The clash Tuesday was the fifth between the teams this season and followed a tense war of words which erupted following their first-leg meeting last week.

Real coach Jose Mourinho was sent from the bench for criticizing the referee during the ill-tempered match in the Spanish capital, which was marked by a raft of fouls and play acting.

Barca's substitute keeper, Jose Pinto, was red carded on the sidelines after a clash at halftime, and in the second half Real defender Pepe was dismissed for a challenge on Dani Alves, who did everything he could to discredit the tackle by writhing on the ground.

Real then submitted a complaint with European football's governing body, UEFA, over what they said was the inappropriate behavior of the Barcelona players, asking that as many as six should be punished. This request was later thrown out, however, as UEFA in turn said it was considering taking action against post-match comments made by Mourinho.

The second slot in the Champions League final will be filled by either Manchester United or Schalke, who face each other in England on Wednesday night. United take a 2-0 lead into the game and are heavily favored to progress to Wembley.

Author: Darren Mara, Holly Fox (dpa, Reuters)
Editor: Joanna Impey