Barcelona qualify for Champions League final

     MADRID, May 3 (Xinhua) -- FC Barcelona qualified¹ for the final of the Champions（冠军） League on Tuesday night after drawing 1-1 at home to Real Madrid in the second leg of their Champions League semi- final.

    Pedro Rodriguez opened the score for Barcelona in the second half and although Marcelo's equalizer with 25 minutes remaining gave the Catalans some nervous moments, Barca were the better side over the two legs and made their 2-0 win in Santiago Bernabeu stadium last week.

    As expected, Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola fielded his strongest available side with Carles Puyol filling in at left back and Javier Mascherano in central defense². Andres Iniesta, who had been injured for the first leg returned in midfield.

    Jose Mourinho sprang a surprise in his starting 11 without the suspended duo of Sergio Ramos and Pepe. He opted³ to bring Gonzalo Higuain and Kaka into the team, doing away with the defensive⁴ trident he had aligned⁵ in the previous three matches against Barca and looking to attack.

    Mourinho, who was suspended and not allowed in the Madrid dugout or to communicate with his players during the match, must have been pleased at his side's start to the game, as Cristiano Ronaldo, Higuain and Angel De Maria looked to pressure Barca high up the park and the home side looked uncomfortable.

    However, once Barcelona broke through the first line of pressure, there was more space in midfield and Ricardo Carvalho was booked before the quarter hour for briskly ending a mess run.

    It was more akin⁶ to a game of chess than a football match as both sides cancelled each other out in midfield and the first chance came when Sergio Busquets headed straight at Iker Casillas from a corner after 20 minutes.

    As the half wore on Madrid began to suffer their physical efforts and Barcelona carved out a series of chances, Casillas produced good saves to deny Messi twice and David Villa⁷, while Messi also shot wide when he usually hits the target.

    All Madrid offered in reply was a break from Ronaldo, whose low cross to De Maria was cut out by Barca keeper Victor Valdes.

    The second half began in controversial fashion as Higuain put the ball into the Barca net only for the referee⁸ to rule his effort out for a previous foul⁹ from Ronaldo, who was unfortunate to bring down Mascherano after losing balance.

    Pedro Rodriguez opened the scoring after 53 minutes, finishing low with his left foot following a magnificent Iniesta pass.

    The goal left Madrid needing to score three goals to qualify and they looked to have lost concentration for a few minutes before De Maria helped set Marcelo up for the equalizer on 65 minutes. De Maria saw a shot rebound¹⁰ off the post and when it dropped at his feet, he kept his calm to tee up Marcelo from close range.

    It was the first and only shot Madrid managed on target all night and although Ronaldo threatened（威胁） on occasions to create clear chances in the closing minutes.

    Barca fans had one final reason to celebrate in the last minute of the game as Eric Abidal returned to action less than two months after undergoing an operation to remove a tumor¹¹ from his liver.

    Madrid will claim they recovered some pride following last weekend's debacle, but it's Barca who will deservedly play in Wembley on May 28.(本文由在线英语听力室整理编辑)

1 qualified   

adj.合格的，有资格的，胜任的，有限制的

参考例句：

• He is qualified as a complete man of letters.他有资格当真正的文学家。
• We must note that we still lack qualified specialists.我们必须看到我们还缺乏有资质的专家。

2 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

3 opted   

v.选择，挑选( opt的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• She was co-opted onto the board. 她获增选为董事会成员。
• After graduating she opted for a career in music. 毕业后她选择了从事音乐工作。

4 defensive   

adj.防御的；防卫的；防守的

参考例句：

• Their questions about the money put her on the defensive.他们问到钱的问题，使她警觉起来。
• The Government hastily organized defensive measures against the raids.政府急忙布置了防卫措施抵御空袭。

5 aligned   

adj.对齐的，均衡的

参考例句：

• Make sure the shelf is aligned with the top of the cupboard.务必使搁架与橱柜顶端对齐。

6 akin   

adj.同族的，类似的

参考例句：

• She painted flowers and birds pictures akin to those of earlier feminine painters.她画一些同早期女画家类似的花鸟画。
• Listening to his life story is akin to reading a good adventure novel.听他的人生故事犹如阅读一本精彩的冒险小说。

7 villa   

n.别墅，城郊小屋

参考例句：

• We rented a villa in France for the summer holidays.我们在法国租了一幢别墅消夏。
• We are quartered in a beautiful villa.我们住在一栋漂亮的别墅里。

8 referee   

n.裁判员．仲裁人，代表人，鉴定人

参考例句：

• The team was left raging at the referee's decision.队员们对裁判员的裁决感到非常气愤。
• The referee blew a whistle at the end of the game.裁判在比赛结束时吹响了哨子。

9 foul   

adj.污秽的；邪恶的；v.弄脏；妨害；犯规；n.犯规

参考例句：

• Take off those foul clothes and let me wash them.脱下那些脏衣服让我洗一洗。
• What a foul day it is!多么恶劣的天气！

10 rebound   

v.弹回；n.弹回，跳回

参考例句：

• The vibrations accompanying the rebound are the earth quake.伴随这种回弹的振动就是地震。
• Our evil example will rebound upon ourselves.我们的坏榜样会回到我们自己头上的。

11 tumor   

n.（肿）瘤，肿块(英)tumour

参考例句：

• He was died of a malignant tumor.他死于恶性肿瘤。
• The surgeons irradiated the tumor.外科医生用X射线照射那个肿瘤。