Borussia Dortmund and Feyenoord will contest this year's UEFA Cup final after coming through respective semi-finals with AC and Inter Milan this evening. The Italians are without a team in either of Europe's two finals for the second year running following tonight's results, with Borussia progressing 5-3 on aggregate despite their 3-1 defeat, while the Dutch side eased through with a 2-2 draw at their De Kuip Stadium to ease through 3-2 over the two legs.
AC made quick inrodes into their 4-0 first-leg deficit with two goals inside 20 minutes at the San Siro, with Serginho crossing from the left for Filippo Inzaghi to head home at the back post with just 11 minutes gone. The home side added a second eight minutes later when a free-kick from Andrea Pirlo was punched out by Dortmund goalkeeper Jens Lehman, but Romanian Cosmin Contra drilled the loose ball into the bottom corner of the net.
It was not until the final minute that Milan really made Dortmund sweat when Serginho converted a penalty to bring them within a goal of taking the game into extra-time, but Dortmund's nerves eased when substitute Lars Ricken struck in injury time to ensure a 5-3 aggregate win.
In Rotterdam, Feyenoord's 2-2 draw with Inter was enough to take them through. Pierre van Hooijdonk opened the scoring after 16 minutes and John Dahl Tomasson doubled the lead on 34 minutes as Feyenoord dominated the match against the Italian league leaders. Six minutes from time Cristiano Zanetti got one back for the visitors and Mohamed Kallon then levelled from the penalty spot on the stroke of full-time but it was too little too late to confirm another fruitless year in Europe for the once dominant Italians.
The Dutch side will be especially looking forward to the final which takes place in their own De Kuip Stadium in Rotterdam on May 8.
Filed by Shane Murray
