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 got the only goal of the game 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 returned to the squad only a week ago 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."

Porto coach Jose Mourinho paid tribute to Derlei.

"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 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.

Derlei's joy was in stark contrast to the despair of Coruna coach Javier Irureta, though his understandable disappointment came out more like a bad loser.

"It wasn't fair. Fate was against us. We had Mauro Silva and Jorge Andrade suspended, Victor was injured and then (Nourredine) Naybet was sent off," moaned Irureta.

"Porto also had much more time to prepare for this game than we did as they won the Portuguese championship two weeks ago.

"In addition, I wasn't very happy with the referee. I wasn't happy with the referee in the first leg either," added a disconsolate Irureta, blaming everyone and everything apart from his own players.

Mourinho will jet off to see Chelsea try and claw back the 3-1 deficit from the first leg against Monaco in Wednesday's semi-final, though his presence there will no doubt stir the rumourmill that he will replace the London side's Italian manager Claudio Ranieri next season.

I am going there as an enemy and I don't think enemies will be too welcome.

"I have my ticket and a bodyguard so I'm going but I am not interested in talking about my future at the moment. I am concentrating completely on my work with Porto," added Mourinho.

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.

He later revealed that he had probably played his last Champions League match as he wanted to leave and play out his career in the lucrative environs of the Gulf State of Qatar, though he has a year remaining on his contract.

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 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 on Tuesday 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.