Barcelona reaches Champions League final

BARCELONA, Spain (AP): Barcelona reached the Champions League final after a 1-1 draw against Real Madrid on Tuesday completed a 3-1 aggregate win in the final installment of a four-match series between Spain's bitter rivals.

Andres Iniesta returned from injury to thread a perfect through ball to Pedro Rodriguez for the 54th minute opener before Angel Di Maria found Marcelo with a short pass for Madrid's equalizer 10 minutes later.

Barcelona goes for its second Champions League title in three seasons under coach Pep Guardiola as the Spanish champion did its bit for a possible repeat of the 2009 final against Manchester United, which leads Schalke 2-0 in the other semifinal.

FC Barcelona's Eric Abidal is lifted by other players at the end of the match against the Real Madrid during a semifinal, second leg Champions League soccer match at the Nou Camp stadium in Barcelona, Spain, Tuesday. - AP

The final takes place on May 28 at Wembley, where Barca won its first Champions League title in 1992.

As in the first leg, Barcelona dominated a defensive Madrid, which was without banned coach Jose Mourinho for the match in the steady rain at the Camp Nou Stadium, but the second leg provided a far more absorbing contest than the first.

"Football justice was served," Barcelona midfielder Xavi Hernandez said. "The best team got through."

Madrid goalkeeper Iker Casillas kept the visitors in touch with a number of superb saves from Lionel Messi in the first half and would have been back in the tie had Gonzalo Higuain's not been disallowed at the start of the second half.

Cristiano Ronaldo went down under a challenge from Gerard Pique and, in falling, clipped the heel of Javier Mascherano, before Higuain put the ball in the net. Referee Frank De Bleeckere pulled play back for Ronaldo's foul on Mascherano.

"Another (setback), like always," Casillas said after Barcelona's players celebrated on the pitch. "We're not going to get upset because it will just be used against us."

Barcelona struck after that as Pedro gathered Iniesta's pass alone inside the area before beating Casillas with a low, left-footed shot.

FC Barcelona players celebrate the victory against the Real Madrid during a semifinal, second leg Champions League soccer match at the Nou Camp stadium in Barcelona, Spain, Tuesday. - AP

Madrid did come away with its first goal at the Camp Nou since 2007 when Xabi Alonso fed Di Maria in the 64th. Di Maria broke into the area and beat Victor Valdes but not the near post, although the ball bounced right back to the Argentina forward to slide a short pass over to Marcelo for the equalizer.

Spanish champion Barcelona will now go for its fourth European title and third since 2006. Madrid, meanwhile, comes away from the four-game series between the historic rivals with just the Copa del Rey trophy.

"The last 20 days have been really hard, a lot of tension," Guardiola said before praising his opponent despite a series of matches marked by taunting, hostility and accusations. "(They're) probably the best team in the world apart from my team, maybe."

Madrid assistant coach Aitor Karanka - in charge with Mourinho reportedly watching from the comforts of his team hotel - insisted there was no communication with Mourinho, although he knew his feelings afterward.

"Mourinho is right - after the (last) game he said it was impossible for us to go forward," said Karanka, who said he spoke to Mourinho right after the whistle.

"He said congratulations to everyone. He's feeling angry about what we've seen in the last few games with the referees."

With goals needed, the Portuguese coach made changes from the first leg with Kaka replacing Mesut Oezil and Higuain starting. Defenders Pepe and Sergio Ramos were both suspended.

Barcelona fielded all eight of its World Cup winners as Iniesta returned after missing the bad-tempered opener that has UEFA examining six charges against the clubs, who were facing off for the fourth time in 18 days with a chance to play for Europe's biggest prize at stake.

The tentative start featured more of the bruising play that accompanied the first leg as Barcelona controlled possession but only began to pepper Casillas' goal once Madrid's upfield pressure slackened.

Needing at least two goals just to force extra-time, Casillas kept Madrid in the game with three classy saves inside a four-minute blitz led by Messi.

Casillas dived to his right to snatch the Argentina forward's 32nd-minute chance before somehow getting a hand up to deny David Villa's curling shot after a Barcelona break.

The Spain goalkeeper also watched chances from Messi and Pedro Rodriguez fly wide before denying Messi's low shot through the crowd.

As the defense grappled to contain Messi, Madrid's attack didn't manage a shot on goal until just before Pedro's opener. Madrid appeared to find some rhythm after the restart as it began to press forward with more authority while the assistants on the bench appeared to receive tactical instructions through a hand-held computer.

But De Bleeckere's call and Pedro's goal appeared to deflate the visitors, although substitutes Emmanuel Adebayor and Oezil helped offensively as Marcelo equalized from Madrid's lone shot on target.

"That would have been the first step in the comeback," Alonso said. "We're upset, hurt to not go through because of so many wrong decisions."

As Barcelona looked to close out the game, Guardiola brought on Eric Abidal in the 90th minute for his first appearance since undergoing surgery to remove a liver tumor in March.