Inter Milan are through to the Champions League final and a date with Bayern Munich on 22 May, despite a 1-0 defeat to Barcelona in the semi-final second leg at the Nou Camp.
Jose Mourinho's ten men progressed 3-2 on aggregate in a game that only came to life in the last seven minutes, after Gerard Pique's 83rd minute goal.
The Catalans will feel that they should have scored a second in the last minute when substitute Bojan Krcic slammed the ball into the net, but referee Frank De Bleeckere harshly and controversially awarded a handball against Yaya Toure in the build-up.
The defining moment of the first half was Thiago Motta's sending off for a hand in Sergio Busquets' face. The Spaniard did rather make the most of what was no more than a slap, a point Motta made forcibly to Busquets as he left the field.
But the incident energised the Italian champions rather than their Spanish counterparts. Inter have form in the art of defending denuded of players, with a goalless draw against Sampdoria in Serie A this February a masterclass of the genre.
Consequently, the Nerazzurri placed ten men behind the ball and defended the Catalans behind a line 35-yards out, with Walter Samuel and Lucio at the heart of defence resolute and committed.
Julio Cesar then pulled off magnificent save to deny Lionel Messi ten minutes before the break. The little Argentinian cut inside from the left and curled a shot toward's Cesar's bottom right-hand corner, but the Brazilian hurled himself across his goal to tip the ball around the post, with most of the Nou Camp on their feet ready to celebrate the goal.
Barcelona did not seem to show the urgency required to break down a two-goal aggregate lead, with Toure's wild shot just before the hour symptomatic of the frustration Pep Guardiola's men were feeling.
Krcic had a great chance on 82 minutes, when Samuel was unable to get to a Messi scooped cross, but with the goal gaping, the Spaniard headed wide.
It was a pivotal moment, as makeshift striker Pique set up an intriguing last seven minutes with a superb finish from Xavi's pass. The former Manchester United defender stopped and dragged the ball away from Cesar and Ivan Cordoba before slamming the ball in the net.
In a frantic and frenetic denouement, Cesar beat away a Xavi shot, and seconds later saved a shot from Messi, then Krcic had his goal ruled out, though Toure will argue that his handball was clearly a case of ball to hand.
In the end, an Italian team playing the Italian way but without an Italian on the pitch was able to hold out. It was celebrated in style by the Inter manager, who roared his joy at the Barca fans who for so long have denigrated him as no more than 'The Translator'.