Goalkeeper Jens Lehmann saved Juan Roman Riquelme's late penalty kick and Arsenal drew 0-0 with Villarreal on Tuesday to reach its first Champions League final.
The English team advanced 1-0 on aggregate, but was dominated by the small-town team from eastern Spain at El Madrigal stadium in the second leg.
"I thought to myself if it is our year we'll save it," Arsenal coach Arsene Wenger said. "I knew Jens wouldn't be beaten easily. There was a lot of pressure on Riquelme. I felt he concentrated on hitting the target instead of placing it."
PHOTO: AP
Arsenal, which was making its first appearance in the Champions League semifinals like Villarreal, will play FC Barcelona or AC Milan in the title match at the Stade de France in Paris on May 17.
Being French, Wenger will travel home to play the final.
"I was worried. We showed a lot of character and resilience tonight. We didn't find our game, in the end with a bit of luck and character we have gone through," Wenger said.
Arsenal remained unbeaten in 12 Champions League games this season, the last 10 without conceding a goal.
"We were a bit lucky tonight," Wenger said. "It is a fantastic achievement and the team has great character. We didn't manage to play tonight. I don't know if that was for physical reasons or psychological reasons.
"We never came into our fluent game -- we needed luck and resilience and we had both tonight."
Villarreal coach Manuel Pellegrini was left shaking his head.
"We played such a complete game. We were very superior to Arsenal -- even better than they were in the first leg," Pellegrini said. "We deserved to be in the final."
The 89th-minute penalty came when referee Valentin Ivanov whistled reserve defender Gael Clichy for knocking over substitute forward Jose Mari Romero from behind as the two battled for a high ball. Riquelme put his attempt right, where Lehman dived and blocked the shot.
"Gael Clichy had an amazing game and the penalty was very harsh. If that's a penalty then you'll see one everyday of the week," Arsenal captain Thierry Henry said. "It was a team effort, but Jens was magnificent. He had an amazing game, not just the save."
Lehmann drew praise from several places.
"I'm pleased when a guy shows professionalism and a winning attitude," Wenger said. ``You want him to be rewarded.''
In the fourth minute, striker Guillermo Franco wasted the first of several Villarreal chances when he shot over the crossbar from inside the penalty area.
In front of a crowd of more than 20,000, Villarreal dominated the first half with Riquelme troubling an Arsenal defense that had Sol Campbell making his return after missing several months.
"From start to finish the crowd was behind them. It makes you understand why nobody wins here," Wenger said.
Villarreal midfielder Juan Pablo Sorin's low shot in the 17th was caught by Lehmann, while right back Javi Venta's low cross sailed through the goal area untouched in the 37th.
With Henry largely uninvolved in attack and midfielder Cesc Fabregas regularly misplacing his passes, Arsenal didn't threaten Villarreal goalkeeper Mariano Barbosa.
Lehmann held Riquelme's low free kick just before halftime as Arsenal clung onto its lead from Kolo Toure's goal at London's Highbury last week.
Franco headed two chances just wide in the 48th and 54th minutes, and Diego Forlan almost scored when his side-footed shot missed in the 64th.
Franco had the ball in the net three minutes later, but Ivanov disallowed the goal for offside.
With time waning, however, Riquelme was presented with the chance to equalize from the penalty spot and take the game into extra time.
"Understandably, the players are shattered," Pellegrini said. "I'm very proud of my players, who were very superior to a great team."
Steaua Bucharest has a 1-0 lead going into Thursday's UEFA Cup semifinal -- and the Romanians want more.
The European Cup winners in 1986, Steaua takes it narrow lead to Middlesbrough. In other second-leg semifinal, Schalke goes to Spain's Sevilla following a 0-0 draw last week in Germany. The two survivors meet in the final May 13 in Eindhoven, Netherlands.
"We're not going to Middlesbrough to defend the 1-0 advantage from the first match," coach Cosmin Olaroiu said. "It's important that we score. Anyway, the pressure will be greater for them."
Steaua Bucharest will be without its best player, winger Banel Nicolita, who is suspended. Middlesbrough's main casualty is goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer, who is out with a broken cheekbone. The Australian was injured in Sunday's 1-0 loss to West Ham in the semifinals of England's FA Cup.
The FA Cup loss may make 'Boro even more desperate for a win.
"We would have been happier if they had won," Steaua defender Dorin Goian said.
Olaroiu dismissed suggestions that Steaua players might wear ear plugs to block out the noisy atmosphere at Riverside Stadium.
"If they do that, they can't hear my orders from the sideline," Olaroiu said.
Sevilla and Schalke are dead even. Sevilla has an advantage playing at home at Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan stadium. And Schalke has an edge, having kept Sevilla from scoring in the first leg in Germany.
Sevilla hasn't lost at home in the UEFA Cup this season with five victories and a draw. That was against German club Mainz.
Forward Frederic Kanoute and defender Javi Navarro are suspended and five other players are carrying yellow cards.
"Schalke has a compact team and they'll play defensively," Sevilla's Brazilian midfielder Renato said. "We have to play intelligently and use fast counterattacks."
Sevilla defender Aitor Ocio warned about Schalke's height advantage.
"It's a tall team, not just the forwards, and they'll keep looking to send the ball in the air," Ocio said.
Schalke's Uruguayan defender Dario Rodriguez is battling a left-calf injury and could miss the game. His absence would hurt Schalke's defense, which already will be without the suspended Mladen Krstajic.
All four teams have had scant success internationally.
Steaua has the best resume -- the European Cup title in 1986. Multimillionaire owner Gigi Becal has promised 100,000 euros (US$120,000) to each player if Steaua reaches the final.
Schalke won the UEFA Cup in 1997, but hasn't won the Bundesliga since 1958.
Sevilla has never won a European title, and won its last Spanish league title 60 years ago.
Middlesbrough has yet to win a major trophy -- internationally or domestically. Two years ago the club won the League Cup, England's No. 2 knockout competition.
France and Real Madrid midfielder Zinedine Zidane said on Tuesday he will retire after the World Cup in Germany.
Zidane helped France win the 1998 World Cup on home soil and the 2000 European Championship. He was FIFA's World Player of the Year in 1998, 2000 and 2003.
"I am stopping for good and I am stopping everything," Zidane told Canal Plus television. "Most of all, I think it's my body. I told myself that I can't do another year."
Zidane, who had another year to run on his contract with Madrid, will turn 34 during the June 9-July 9 World Cup.
Zidane led Madrid to the 2002 Champions League title, but noted that the star-studded team hasn't won a trophy in the past two years.
"I don't want to start a third year knowing that I won't be able to do better than I've done in the past," Zidane said. "I'm getting to an age where it is getting harder and harder."
He said he wanted to focus on the World Cup -- his "last objective" -- and give Madrid time to find a replacement.
Nicknamed "Zizou," he retired from the French team after it lost to Greece in the quarterfinals of the 2004 European Championship. But along with Claude Makelele and Lilian Thuram, Zidane returned to help France qualify for the 2006 World Cup.
Zidane, who has scored 26 goals in 92 games for France, also played for Juventus, Bordeaux and Cannes.
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