Deportivo la Coruna’s Aldo Duscher (right) challenges Porto’s Pedro Mendes during their Champions League semi-final second leg match at the Riazor Stadium on Tuesday. (Reuters)

La Coruna: Uefa Cup holders Porto became the first Portuguese side for 14 years to make the final of Europe’s top club competition after beating Deportivo La Coruna 1-0 in their Champions League semi-final second leg here.

The Portuguese champions — winner of the 1987 European Cup — go through to the final, which will be held in the German city of Gelsenkirchen on May 26, by the same aggregate score after a 0-0 draw in the first leg two weeks ago.

Brazilian striker Derlei Silva got the only goal of the game on Tuesday from the penalty spot on the hour mark after Deportivo defender Cesar Martin had brought down Portuguese international Deco.

Derlei’s shot just squeezed between the post and the fingers of Deportivo ’keeper Francisco Molina.

Derlei was understandably ecstatic afterwards having just returned from a four-month absence because of injury.

“With a return like this, I believe this is the best moment of my career,” said Derlei, who was Man of the Match in the Uefa Cup final victory over Celtic last year. “This is the best way to thank my teammates for all their support while I was injured.”

Derlei only returned to the Porto squad over a week ago, but coach Jose Mourinho had enough faith in his goal-scoring skills to start him ahead of South African striker Benni McCarthy.

The Spanish side launched everything into attack after the Porto goal and Uruguayan striker Walter Pandiani went close shortly afterwards with a header.

However, Deportivo’s chances of finding the two goals they needed to rescue the tie declined even further in the 69th minute when veteran Moroccan international Nourredine Naybet was sent off for a second bookable offence.

Clever play was at a premium on a wet night, with the wind also blowing in off the Atlantic. Players frequently slipped and skidded on the greasy Riazor surface.

Deportivo had the best of the first 45 minutes. Mid-way through the first period, Pandiani sent a volley high and wide from Juan Carlos Valeron cross, with only Porto ’keeper Vitor Baia in front of him.

Valeron then did the same 13 minutes later after service provided by fellow-Spanish international Albert Luque.

The Portuguese visitors, who had travelled just 275 km across the border, were the tidier side in their passing but rarely looked like breaking down the well-organised Deportivo defence until Derlei broke the deadlock.

Fortune was definitely smiling on Mourinho last night as the seven players in danger of being suspended if they picked up a yellow card all came through without a caution.

Only Carlos Alberto and Pedro Mendes were booked although Deportivo fans made it vocally known that referee Pierluigi Collina was rather lenient, especially in the final 20 minutes when Porto sat back and defended doggedly.

Nuno Valente was fortunate not to be penalised for a penalty and sent off when he blatantly elbowed a Coruna player — but Collina failed to see it.

‘Derlei is special’

Mourinho paid tribute to Derlei for helping his club’s dream come true.

“Derlei is a special player. He’s a player who can bring to our team what was missing a little bit when he was injured,” said Mourinho.

“I had some doubts about what he could do. I knew he would just keep going until he couldn’t do anymore, and then I would substitute him,” commented Mourinho.

“He told me before the game that we had to win this match in 90 minutes because he would be dead if the game went to extra-time.

“I thought he might last 70 or 75 minutes but it shows the character of the player that he was there for the whole 90 minutes.

“We have now helped Portugal recover the pride which has been lost for sometime,” added Mourinho, raising the flag before Portugal hosts Euro 2004 next month.