Real Madrid 1-0 Manchester City
(Real Madrid win 1-0 on aggregate)
There will be an all-Madrid Champions League final for the second time in three years after Real squeezed past Manchester City at the Bernabeu on Wednesday night.
Gareth Bale got the all-important goal in the first half of an underwhelming semi-final second leg, the ball finding the net following a deflection off Fernando.
Real were boosted by the return of fit-again Cristano Ronaldo, who missed the first leg, while City were hurt when captain Vincent Kompany limped off the pitch with an injury after less than ten minutes.
Real beat Atletico Madrid after extra-time in the 2014 final and their cross-city final booked their ticket to Milan, which will host European club football's showpiece event on May 28, by eliminating Bayern Munich on Tuesday.
Kompany's departure undid what had been a confident start by City and they struggled to gain any meaningful possession for a prolonged spell.
Real turned up the pressure with Ronaldo (below), relishing the chance to run at Nicolas Otamendi and Eliaquim Mangala, heading over and sending another shot off-target.
City were unable to stem the tide and the hosts broke through on 20 minutes as Bale burst into the area on the right and his fierce shot took a slight but critical deflection off Fernando. It flew into the roof of the net over the diving Joe Hart.
It might have got worse for City as Pepe poked the ball past Hart from a Toni Kroos free-kick but the flag was raised for offside.
City struggled to muster a response but Jesus Navas and Bacary Sagna both got into good positions only to fail to pick out the isolated Sergio Aguero.
City's one good moment of the first half came just before the break as Fernandinho cut inside from the left but his powerful drive struck the base of the post.
The visitors needed a rousing team talk at half-time from their outgoing manager Manuel Pellegrini, but as the second period began it was Hart that kept them in the game.
Hart got his body in the way to deny Luka Modric after the rest of the defence had switched off and then twice saved from Ronaldo.
Bale went close with a header that rebounded off the crossbar before the extraordinary sight of Ronaldo catching the ball and pushing it into the net - but he had already been flagged offside.
Real should have put the game out of sight but the longer they went without scoring, signs of frustration began to creep in. Kroos appeared to hit out at Fernandinho off the ball and niggly fouls crept into their game.
Knowing a goal would change everything, City pushed late on but after Aguero (above), who hardly featured in a frustrating night, sent a long-range shot over, their hopes faded.
Pellegrini will be replaced by Pep Guardiola during the summer and former Barcelona and Bayern Munich manager looks to have a major job on his hands to take City to the summit of the Champions League.
"It was a close semi-final and we have come out the wrong side of it," said a rueful Hart afterwards.
"They could not kill it off, we defended well when needed, but we just didn't have that little bit more.
"I thought Kun (Aguero) had a good effort in the 88th minute, but did we do enough to win the game? I don't know."
