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Real Madrid go through to the Champions League final. Real went through to the May 24 showdown at the Stade de France in Paris 3-2 on aggregate following their 2-0 first leg win last week and will now meet either Valencia or Barcelona in an all-Spanish Final. They meet in the second leg of their semifinal on Wednesday with Valencia 4-1 ahead after the first leg. Although Bayern lost the first leg 2-0 in Madrid last week, they were bouyed by their 4-2 and 4-1 victories over Real in the second phase of the Champions League just over two months ago. And they started as if they believed they could repeat those successes. Striker Carsten Jancker put Bayern in front with a spectacular goal in the 12th minute of an entertaining game, his acrobatic volley from a headed pass by Brazilian striker Elber leaving Real's teenage goalkeeper Iker Casillas helpless. But Real equalised when French striker Nicolas Anelka outjumped Sammy Kuffour and headed home from a Savio cross in the 32nd minute. That left Bayern with the almost impossible task of having to score three goals without conceding any. The Munich club kept trying, moving 2-1 up with a header by Elber from a Stefan Effenberg free kick in the 54th minute, and went down fighting. But their bad luck on the night was compounded when it was confirmed after the match that Jens Jermeies had broken a collar bone, althought he should be fit in time for the start of Euro 2000 in a month's time. Bayern raced forward from kickoff and threatened after just three minutes with a header by Jancker wich bounced virtually on the line. Real, missing striker Fernando Morientes, who sustained a groin injury while training for the match, were constantly under pressure in the opening stages and survived another scare in the eighth minute when Bixente Lizarazu headed just wide from a Mehmet Scholl cross. Then came Jancker's eye-catching effort, which was met with roars of delight from the 60,000 crowd packing the Olympic stadium on a warm, still spring night. The fans became suddenly silent shortly afterwards when Anelka found himself alone of Bayern 'keeper Oliver Kahn but the Frenchman was off-balance and missed. The home side were soon back for more and Brazilian striker Elber hit the back of the net in the 26th minute but Jancker was standing less than half-a-metre offside and the goal was disallowed by English referee Graham Poll. Anelka, eager to adapt to the Spanish club after being suspended for skipping training because he felt neglected, was dangerous throughout and had gone close a couple of times before he scored, effectively killing the tie. A violent drive from the corner of the box by the Frenchman forced Kahn to demonstrate his class with a brilliant save just before half-time. Bayern, who conceded two goals in injury time to lose 2-1 to Manchester United in last year's final, desperately wanted another shot at the title. They never gave up and created a few more chances after Elber's goal but failed to surprise a vigilant Real defence. Real, who won their record seventh European Cup triumph in 1998, have now reached the final after beating last season's two finalists as they knocked out former champions Manchester United in the Quarter-finals.
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