Barcelona 0 Milan 0 <i>(Barcelona win 1-0 on agg.)</i>: Barcelona book date with Gunners

Ronaldinho battles for the ball with Milan defender Costacurta

So Ronaldinho, Samuel Eto'o and Giovanni van Bronckhorst will be standing between Arsenal and their first European Cup in Paris in three weeks' time, rather than Andrei Shevchenko, Kaka and Jaap Stam. Milan, having suffered a 1-0 defeat after wasting several chances in the home leg last week, were denied parity when Shevchenko's header in the second half was controversially disallowed.

The Arsenal manager, Arsène Wenger, who was among the rapturous crowd of 95,661 last night, will have noted that on the evidence of these two games Barcelona's adventurous approach will give his team a chance and could make for an encounter as thrilling as this one. Thierry Henry, coveted by Barça, will certainly fancy his chances against the often ponderous partnership of Carles Puyol and Rafael Marquez. Henry will also require considerably more support than in the semi-final defeat of Villarreal on Tuesday from team-mates who may have hands and feet full coping with a midfield that could yet include either Lionel Messi or Xavi, both currently injured.

It was a measure of the visitors' task, which they came close to achieving, that only Ajax had ever overturned a home defeat in the semi-finals of this competition. Frank Rijkaard, determined not to risk a similar fate, had insisted that Barcelona did not sit on their lead and they declined to do so in a game played at the pace of a Premiership encounter with perhaps four times the skill.

It takes two to make that sort of match and Milan played their part. Shevchenko and Filippo Inzaghi often had the guile to outwit the home defence while Kaka was more successful than in the first leg at escaping Edmilson. Opportunities were shared as play switched from one penalty area to the other at often bewildering speed.

Neither defence was secure, Milan's unexpectedly suffering from the late inclusion of Alessandro Costacurta, two days after blowing out 40 candles on his birthday cake. He showed his age more than once and collected the night's first booking just before half-time for a cynical trip on the lively Eto'o. Costacurta also hooked off the line after his error had let Eto'o in; and the substitute Henrik Larsson demanded a good save from Dida.

But Milan's followers high in the Nou Camp had plenty of positive moments to crane their necks towards, above all in the 68th minute. Shevchenko was justifiably convinced he had scored, only to have what looked a clean header chalked off for an alleged push on Puyol. The referee Markus Merk performed his warm-down half an hour after the finish with Milanese whistles ringing in his burning ears.

Wenger said: "Ronaldinho can produce something special in any moment but I saw some encouraging things. The important thing is to go with the right belief."

Barcelona (4-3-3): Valdes; Belletti, Marquez, Puyol, Van Bronckhorst; Deco, Edmilson, Iniesta; Giuly (Larsson, 68), Eto'o (Van Bommel, 89), Ronaldinho. Substitutes not used: Jorquera (gk), Motta, Maxi, Silvinho, Gabri.

Milan (4-3-1-2): Dida; Stam, Costacurta (Cafu, 64), Kaladze, Serginho; Gattuso (Rui Costa, 68), Pirlo, Seedorf; Kaka; Shevchenko, Inzaghi (Gilardino, 79). Substitutes not used: Kalac (gk), Maldini, Vogel, Jankulovski.

Referee: M Merk (Germany).