Brazil's Gremio made it through to the final of the 2007 Copa Libertadores on Wednesday, despite going down 3-1 to compatriots Santos at the Vila Belmiro stadium. The semi-final finished 3-3 on aggregate after Gremio's 2-0 first leg win, sending the Porto Alegre club through on away goals.

After Diego Souza had fired Gremio ahead in the first half of their second leg clash, Renatinho goals either side of half-time and another from Ze Roberto ensured the visitors were forced to endure a nervy finish, but in the end they did enough to clinch a coveted place in the final.

Having got the all-important away goal, Gremio looked content to try and contain their hosts, knowing that O Peixe now needed four goals to deny them a place in the final. The home side tried gamely to reduce Gremio's three-goal aggregate lead, but the Tricolor Gaúcho defence held firm until first-half stoppage time, when Renatinho managed to throw his side a lifeline.

The Santos forward was back for more early in the second half, putting his side ahead on the night after combining with Marcos Aurelio inside the box. With the home side in the ascendancy, up popped Ze Roberto to level the tie on aggregate and leave Pele's former team needing just one more to go through.

Yet despite a furious finale to what was already a fiercely contested match, there was to be no fairytale finish for Vanderlei Luxemburgo's men.

The contrasting game-plans of the two teams were clearly illustrated by the coaches' second-half substitutions. While Gremio's Mano Menezes withdrew his strikers to crowd the midfield with holding players, Luxemburgo threw on three front-runners as he went in desperate search of second-half goals.

As the momentum shifted and Santos found their range after the break, they gradually began to control proceedings and took the game to their opponents. Yet although Gremio had everyone in the final third as the clocked ticked down, Santos were unable to find a fourth goal.

With no way through for O Peixe, they struggled to keep their shape and composure, just as early in the match, allowing Gremio to relieve some of the pressure with menacing counter-attacks. Leading the way was the talented young midfielder Lucas, who had replaced the striker Douglas on 64 minutes.

Just as had happened last week at Gremio's Estadio Olimpico in Porto Alegre, the crowd at the Vila Belmiro played a huge part, roaring their team on all night. Among the thousands of disappointed fans at the final whistle was Pele, a two-time winner the competition with Santos in 1962 and 1963. The club have never lost a Copa Libertadores tie in front of O Rei and, although they continued that record last night, the win will have been scant consolation.

In the end, the fascinating duel between Santos' passing football and the strength and determination of the Gaúchos was won by Menezes, who led Gremio to their first Libertadores final since 1995. Gremio will face the winner of tonight's second semi-final between Colombia's Cucuta Deportivo and Argentina's Boca Juniors.