Leeds guaranteed themselves another multi-million pound pay-day after booking their place in the semi-finals of the Champions League - but only after being blitzed by Spanish champions Deportivo La Coruna.

Holding a 3-0 cushion from the first leg at Elland Road, there seemed little danger Leeds would not reach the last four having comprehensively outplayed Deportivo in the first leg of this remarkable quarter-final 13 days ago.

But Leeds were left hanging on for dear life at the end of a 90-minute battering the likes of which they could not have imagined when they headed into the return at the Riazor Stadium.

United, though, somehow survived, defending as if their very lives depended on it, and they can now look forward to their fourth trip to Spain this season as Valencia - conquerors of Arsene Wenger's Arsenal tonight - lie in wait.

But then the feeling before the game was one of apprehension, unsurprising given that to a man in La Coruna - from the coach, through to the players, the fans and the ordinary guy on the street - Deportivo were convinced they would overturn the daunting deficit.

There was not a shred of doubt, with such optimism almost blinding, but with good reason as the reigning Spanish champions had lost just one of their last 32 games at the Riazor Stadium, a remarkable run stretching back to last February and including 26 victories.

Given the ground's prime position, on the coast of this northwestern Spanish town and overlooking the Atlantic Ocean, it had become a virtually impregnable fortress, with only AC Milan having breached the 'ramparts'.

It was the now almost legendary - at least in these parts - comeback against Paris St Germain in the club's penultimate match of the last group stage which had inspired and instilled such overwhelming confidence.

On that occasion the French side led 3-0 after 55 minutes, but Deportivo staged an astonishing rally, scoring four goals in 27 minutes for a result which helped the club confirm their place in the last eight.

Deportivo coach Javier Irureta had therefore warned Leeds before the match they would "have to shed blood, sweat and tears" to reach the semi final, and so it proved as the nerve-wracking tension did not relent from the first minute to the last.

The backlash that had been promised duly materialised as Leeds found themselves entrenched inside their own half throughout the first period as Deportivo attempted to stage a footballing miracle.

Only Barcelona can claim to have torn Leeds apart the way Deportivo were able to during a torrid and tortuous opening 45 minutes in which the backs of O'Leary's players were well and truly against the wall.

Leeds were hammered 4-0 in the Nou Camp on that occasion, but it was very much a weakened side which bowed to one of the kings of European football, in stark contrast to the first-choice 11 facing Deportivo.

But for all their dominance and pressure, remarkably all that separated the sides at the break was a ninth-minute Djalminha penalty courtesy of a blatant push from Harry Kewell on Victor.

The Deportivo players then threw themselves into every challenge, never giving their Leeds counterparts a moment's respite on the ball, with goalkeeper Franciso Molina a virtual spectator.

Wave after wave of attacks led to chance after chance as the likes of Roy Makaay, Walter Pandiani, Romero and Manuel Pablo lined up for the opportunities.

It was more by luck than by design Leeds somehow managed to hold firm until the break, with Nigel Martyn only forced to make one save of any significant note as he superbly plucked a Makaay header out of the air.

Then came the moment Leeds fans had been praying for having spent most of their time sat on the edge of their seats, one which should have sealed the tie, only for Alan Smith to be guilty of wasting a gilt-edged chance.

Having done brilliantly to intercept Donato's bad back pass and then round Molina, the 20-year-old chose to shoot from a narrow angle, firing into the sidenetting with an unmarked Mark Viduka screaming for the pull back as he stood alone by the penalty spot.

The paint must have peeled on the walls of the Leeds dressing room at the break as O'Leary's words will hardly have been kind, but any respite from Deportivo did not materialise.

Ian Harte was forced to clear a Fran cross from the left wing from underneath his own crossbar, before Martyn then saved in spectacular fashion, with the 34-year-old at full stretch in tipping a Romero drive onto the bar.

The combination of Martyn and the woodwork combined again in the 70th minute, this time in denying Holland international Makaay with a bullet header from point-blank range.

It was no surprise when the second goal finally came three minutes later as two of Deportivo's substitutes combined beautifully following a quickly worked free kick, with Valeron's piercing low ball from the left-wing towards the near post stabbed home by Tristan who had stolen in behind the defence.

But that was it for Deportivo as they failed to find the goal to force extra time during a closing 20 minutes which saw the Leeds players defend stoutly and resiliently - and now just a potential 180 minutes separate Leeds from the Champions League final.

Teams

D Coruna Molina, Manuel Pablo, Romero, Noureddine Naybet, Mauro Silva, Djalminha (Valeron 69), Fran, Pandiani (Turu Flores 79), Victor (Tristan 62), Donato, Makaay.

Subs Not Used: Songo'o, Cesar, Scaloni, Fernando.

Goals: Djalminha 9 pen, Tristan 73.

Leeds Martyn, Mills, Ferdinand, Matteo, Harte, Bowyer, Dacourt, Batty, Kewell (Bakke 77), Smith, Viduka.

Subs Not Used: Robinson, Wilcox, Burns, Maybury.

Booked: Ferdinand, Martyn.

Agg (2-3) Att: 35,600

Ref: Stefano Braschi (Prato).