Associated Press

London, April 22:

FC Porto laboured to a 0-0 tie with Deportivo de La Coruna on Wednesday leaving Monaco as the only clear favourite to reach the Champions League final.

The only surviving team to have won Europe’s most prestigious club competition, Porto hit the bar but failed to beat Depor’s goalkeeper in a low quality game at the new Stadium of the Dragon, refurbished for Euro 2004.

Nuno Ribeiro “Maniche” floated a 25-yard shot that hit the crossbar and Lithuanian striker Edgaras Jankauskas headed a rightwing free kick wide of the far post as Porto twice threatened to break the deadlock.

Deportivo was reduced to 10 men four minutes from the end when Jorge Andrade, a former Porto player, foolishly kicked out at Deco in front of referee Markus Merk after being called for a foul and was sent off.

Like Brazilian teammate Mauro Silva, Andrade’s partner in central defence who was booked in the game, he will be suspended for the second leg on home turf.

Porto had knocked out Manchester United on the way to the semi-final and Deportivo had spectacularly come from 4-1 down to beat defending champion AC Milan 4-0 in the second leg of the quarter-final.

But there was a general lack of goalmouth incident in Wednesday’s game in stark contrast to Tuesday’s semi-final.

Monaco, which ousted nine-time champion Real Madrid in the quarters, played much of the second half with 10 men but still scored a 3-1 victory over Chelsea.

Fernando Morientes, a three-time Champions League winner with Madrid, and Shabani Nonda scored late goals as Chelsea’s defence fell apart at Stade Louis II.

The result was a major boost for Monaco coach Didier Deschamps, a former WC and European Championship winner with France, while Claudio Ranieri’s team needs a 2-0 victory on home soil to make it to its first final.

Italia Serie A

ROME: National team members Bernardo Corradi and Francesco Totti each scored as Lazio and AS Roma played to a 1-1 draw in a relatively calm edition of the Roman derby. The game was a replay of the March 21 game between Rome’s two teams, which was suspended when a false rumour that police had run over a boy outside the stadium sparked mass chaos and violence.

On Wednesday, Corradi put Lazio ahead in the 40th minute, taking advantage of some swift ball movement by Roberto Muzzi and Luciano Zauri that left Roma’s defence — including goalkeeper Ivan Pelizzoli — scrambling for position.

Totti equalised with a penalty shot in the 61st after Corradi was called for a hand ball. The Roma captain celebrated his 18th goal of the season — tying him with Parma’s Alberto Gilardino for second place on the league list behind AC Milan’s Andriy Shevchenko (21 goals).