Shevchenko celebrates his goal Match photos

AC Milan won the battle of the Italian giants to reach the Champions League final at the expense of fierce rivals Inter Milan at the San Siro.

Andriy Shevchenko's strike in first-half injury time proved decisive in an encounter that was high on aggression but short on true quality.

Shevchenko joy at win

It gave AC Milan the vital away goal - albeit scored on their own ground - and proved too much for Inter to claw back.

Substitute Obafemi Martins scored to give AC Milan an anxious last eight minutes, but Carlo Ancelotti's side held out to reach their ninth final, their first since 1995.

AC Milan now head to Old Trafford for the showpiece final on 28 May.

KEY MOMENTS 45 mins: Andriy Shevchenko puts AC Milan in front 82 mins: Obafemi Martins snatches an equaliser for Inter

Shevchenko was comfortably the most dangerous attacker in the hothouse atmosphere of a scrappy first half.

He had a right-foot shot wide after 23 minutes in a rare moment of quality in an opening 45 minutes reduced to spoiling and gamesmanship in the old style of Milan derbies.

AC Milan's Filippo Inzhaghi was unluckily booked after a collision with Francesco Toldo, and he was swiftly followed into French referee Giles Veissiere's notebook by Gennaro Gattuso and Rui Costa.

And Inter's Luigi di Biagio was also shown the yellow card before Shevchenko struck in first-half inury time.

Real impact

Clarence Seedorf, aiming to be the first man to win the Champions League with three different clubs, was the creator with a glorious pass which Shevchenko finished from close range.

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Inter coach Hector Cuper responded with a double substitution at the interval, sending on Martins and Stephane Dalmat for Alvaro Recoba and Di Biagio.

And they finally threatened AC Milan's goal after 62 minutes when Christian Abbiati punched Belozoglu Emre's free-kick into Sergio Conceicao's path, but he shot wide.

Youngster Martins had made a real impact and he deserved to put Inter level when he escaped Paolo Maldini to beat Abbiati.

AC Milan were suddenly rocking and substitute Mohamed Kallon was agonisingly denied by Abbiati, but it was their final opportunity.

Inter Milan: Toldo, Cordoba, Materazzi, Cannavaro, Cristiano Zanetti, Di Biagio, Javier Zanetti, Emre, Recoba, Crespo, Sergio Conceicao. Subs: Fontana, Pasquale, Gamarra, Dalmat, Martins, Vivas, Kallon.

AC Milan: Abbiati, Costacurta, Nesta, Maldini, Kaladze, Gattuso, Rui Costa, Pirlo, Seedorf, Shevchenko, Inzaghi. Subs: Fiori, Brocchi, Serginho, Rivaldo, Tomasson, Ambrosini, Roque Junior.

Referee: Giles Veissiere (France)