Villarreal 1 - Inter Milan 0

Villarreal: Viera; Javi Venta, Quique Alvarez, Peña, Arruabarrena; Marcos Senna, Tacchinardi, Sorín (Josico 78'); Riquelme; José Marí (Guille Franco 78'), Diego Forlán (Calleja 90'). 4-3-1-2.
Inter: Toldo; Córdoba, Materazzi, Samuel, Javier Zanetti; Figo (Mihajlovic 75'), Verón (Julio Cruz 85'), Cambiasso, Stankovic; Adriano, Recoba (Martins 56'). 4-4-2.

Goals:
1-0. 58. Arruabarrena. Glancing header over Toldo from Riquelme free kick.

Villarreal are through to the semi-finals of the Champions League! The Spanish side from the town with a 48,000 population who only a few seasons ago were playing in the lower divisions beat mighty Inter Milan 1-0 to go through to the last four of the competition on the away goal rule.

With a 2-1 scoreline against them from the first leg, the locals needed to get a goal. But it took them some time to get going against the experienced Italian defence, and only a couple of efforts from José Marí and Senna gave the capacity crowd anything to shout about early on. However they grew in confidence later in the half, with Riquelme in particular having a couple of long pots at Toldo after making himself space, and Tacchinardi heading a corner wide.

Toldo had to be on his toes to tip over a long shot from José Marí after the restart, and Stankovic fired a shot over the top at the other end in a rare Inter attack. With just under an hour on the clock though the ground erupted when Arruabarrena headed Riquelme's long free kick over Toldo, putting the home side ahead in the tie.

Even so there was little reaction from the visitors, and Diego Forlán could have extended the lead with a shot from the edge of the area which Toldo pushed round the post, and then with another effort on a rapid breakaway which went just wide. And Riquelme almost caught the keeper off his line with a magnificent shot from wide on the right wing which Toldo somehow managed to fist away as it was curling over the line.

The Italians finally woke up though in the last few minutes, and the fans breathed a sigh of relief when the referee turned down a penalty appeal after Javi Venta pulled down Martins in the area, and then when Viera saved from Stankovic. But soon afterwards it was all over, and Pellegrini's side were through to a semi-final tie with Arsenal.