Lazio - 0  FC Porto - 0:Portuguese league leaders Porto progressed coolly to the final of the UEFA Cup last night by preserving their 4-1 advantage in a scoreless return leg of their semi-final with Lazio in Rome.

The two sides played the entire second half with 10 men after Lazio's Cesar and Porto striker Helder Postiga, both booked for an earlier off-the-ball incident, were sent off in the 45th minute after a similar clash.

The Italian club, beaten 4-1 in the first leg, began the night with the difficult task of scoring at least three times to stand any chance of progressing to the final in Seville.

In the first half they played with ragged urgency, throwing men forward and often surrendering possession to a Porto side that looked in no mood to hurry.

After the interval, Lazio earned a penalty when striker Simone Inzaghi was brought down in the box, but Lopez's weak kick from the spot was beaten away by goalkeeper Vitor Baia, and the visitors easily stifled the hosts' last-ditch attacks.

LAZIO: Marchegiani, Cesar, Mihajlovic, Oddo, Couto, Stankovic, Giannichedda (Fiore 50), Liverani (Baggio 69), Lopez, Inzaghi, Chiesa (Lazetic 59). Subs Not Used: Concetti, Negro, Colonnese, Simeone. Sent Off: Cesar (44). Booked: Giannichedda, Cesar, Liverani.

FC PORTO: Vitor Baia, Paulo Ferreira, Jorge Costa, Ricardo Carvalho, Nuno Valente, Alenitchev (Pedro Emanuel 89), Ricardo Costa, Deco (Tiago 80), Maniche, Derlei (Jankauskas 85), Helder Postiga. Subs Not Used: Nuno, Secretario, Capucho, Marco Ferreira. Sent Off: Helder Postiga (44). Booked: Helder Postiga, Jorge Costa.

Referee: G Veissiere (France).