Real seal final spot

Real Madrid 1 Barcelona 1

Real Madrid 1 Barcelona 1

Real Madrid set up a Champions League final showdown with Bayer Leverkusen tonight after sealing a 3-1 aggregate win over rivals Barcelona at the Bernabeu.

In a match that had looked in doubt when a car bomb exploded outside the stadium just hours before kick-off, injuring more than nine people, Raul's stunning first-half goal proved the decisive strike.

Ivan Helguera put the ball in his own net at the start of the second half to give Barca hope, but Madrid, in their centenary season, prevailed to reach their 12th final in the competition.

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Madrid, leading 2-0 from last week's first leg in the Nou Camp, almost went behind when Philip Cocu hit the post.

But star striker Raul gave Madrid a three-goal advantage on the stroke of half-time when he drilled a rising left-footed drive into the top corner from the edge of the box.

PA