Barça trailed Chelsea for almost the entire match by virtue of Michael Essien's stunning opener at Stamford Bridge, but Andres Iniesta hammered home from the edge of the area in the 93rd minute - with the visitors' first strike on target - to swing the tie towards the La Liga leaders.
Eric Abidal was sent off midway through the second period and Daniel Alves also picked up a third booking of the competition, meaning that they will both miss out on facing United in the Stadio Olimpico.
Chelsea's frustrations boiled over at full-time, with the last-gasp nature of the defeat particularly tough to take, especially when allied to a string of strong penalty claims being waved away - including one for handball in the 96th minute.
It had seemed for so long that, for the first time ever, the same two teams would contest the Champions League Final in successive seasons, but instead it is Barça who will take on the holders in Rome in a repeat of last season's epic semi-final.
My team-mates are tops
A sensational display from Sir Alex's men at the Emirates on Tuesday night secured a 4-1 aggregate victory over Arsenal and sealed a final berth in Rome later this month.
Having skippered the Reds to Champions League glory in Moscow last season, Ferdinand is the likely candidate to do so once again in Rome. And he couldn't be happier with the players he'll be leading.
"I wouldn't swap any of our players for anyone," he insisted. "I can look at any team in the world and then look at our lads and I wouldn't swap any of them, simple as that.
"I'm delighted to be with the players I'm with in that dressing room."
While over the moon to be heading to the Italian capital to take on either Chelsea or Barcelona, Ferdinand insists there is much hard work to be done if the Reds are to make history and become the first club to retain the trophy.
"It's alright saying we should have won the trophy more times, but we haven't and we need to change that," declared the defender.
"We'll be forgotten if we don't win it. Of course, we can enjoy getting to the final, but we need to win it to be known as a successful team.
"Collectively we all want to achieve more," he added. "We want to do it for everyone - the manager, ourselves, the staff and the fans. We're all in it together and the main aim is to try and be successful."
Attentions will return to domestic matters this weekend when Sir Alex's men entertain Manchester neighbours City at Old Trafford.
The Reds are just seven points from a securing a hat-trick of league titles, but Ferdinand says United won't be taking anything for granted just yet.
"We'll take each game as it comes because we know we have to keep performing," he said.
"It'll be a tough match against City. They've won their last couple and they'll be feeling they can come and do a job on us. So it's up to us to make sure we win."
Having skippered the Reds to Champions League glory in Moscow last season, Ferdinand is the likely candidate to do so once again in Rome. And he couldn't be happier with the players he'll be leading.
"I wouldn't swap any of our players for anyone," he insisted. "I can look at any team in the world and then look at our lads and I wouldn't swap any of them, simple as that.
"I'm delighted to be with the players I'm with in that dressing room."
While over the moon to be heading to the Italian capital to take on either Chelsea or Barcelona, Ferdinand insists there is much hard work to be done if the Reds are to make history and become the first club to retain the trophy.
"It's alright saying we should have won the trophy more times, but we haven't and we need to change that," declared the defender.
"We'll be forgotten if we don't win it. Of course, we can enjoy getting to the final, but we need to win it to be known as a successful team.
"Collectively we all want to achieve more," he added. "We want to do it for everyone - the manager, ourselves, the staff and the fans. We're all in it together and the main aim is to try and be successful."
Attentions will return to domestic matters this weekend when Sir Alex's men entertain Manchester neighbours City at Old Trafford.
The Reds are just seven points from a securing a hat-trick of league titles, but Ferdinand says United won't be taking anything for granted just yet.
"We'll take each game as it comes because we know we have to keep performing," he said.
"It'll be a tough match against City. They've won their last couple and they'll be feeling they can come and do a job on us. So it's up to us to make sure we win."
Patrice Evra's mind in the wake of United's Champions League semi-final victory over Arsenal
While declaring his relief at being eligible to play in the final himself, the Reds left-back was quick to console Darren Fletcher who's set to miss out after being sent off.
"The bad news of the night is Fletcher will miss the final and I feel so frustrated for him," said Evra, who had been one booking away from missing out on the Rome showpiece.
"The (possibility of a) yellow card was on my mind in the week leading up to the game, in the hotel before the match and during it. I thought about it a lot because I always believed we would reach the final and I wanted to be there.
"I, therefore, played with a lot of pain in my stomach [in the second leg] and I said to the boss that if we scored a third goal I wanted to come off, I just couldn't face the thought of missing the final.
"Of course, the most important thing was to help the team get there and I just tried to make sure I did my job well in order to do that. Maybe it was destiny that I should play in the final, but I knew the most important thing was to make sure we were there."
Evra was one of three players who would have missed the final had they been booked at the Emirates Stadium; Wayne Rooney also avoided a caution before he was substituted, while Carlos Tevez remained on the bench throughout the match.
"The bad news of the night is Fletcher will miss the final and I feel so frustrated for him," said Evra, who had been one booking away from missing out on the Rome showpiece.
"The (possibility of a) yellow card was on my mind in the week leading up to the game, in the hotel before the match and during it. I thought about it a lot because I always believed we would reach the final and I wanted to be there.
"I, therefore, played with a lot of pain in my stomach [in the second leg] and I said to the boss that if we scored a third goal I wanted to come off, I just couldn't face the thought of missing the final.
"Of course, the most important thing was to help the team get there and I just tried to make sure I did my job well in order to do that. Maybe it was destiny that I should play in the final, but I knew the most important thing was to make sure we were there."
Evra was one of three players who would have missed the final had they been booked at the Emirates Stadium; Wayne Rooney also avoided a caution before he was substituted, while Carlos Tevez remained on the bench throughout the match.
Giggs
For a player and a team that achieves so much, finding new challenges can be difficult. But almost as soon as last year's final in Moscow had swung in United's favour, the Reds' sights were set on becoming the first side in 20 years to successfully defend the trophy.
"We said last year we wanted to defend it [the Champions League], give it a big shot and that's what we've done," Giggs told MUTV.
"The final is the biggest occasion you can be involved in and it's a great feeling to be there again. We've come out tonight and produced an unbelievable performance.
"We knew we'd get chances because this team creates them, it's just about putting them away. We did and that put the pressure right back on Arsenal, knowing they had to score three goals. That left gaps at the back for us to score more, and that's what happened."
United now have four games to seal the Barclays Premier League title before attentions can switch to Rome, and Giggs admits the players are relishing such high stakes.
"This is what we want," he said. "At this part of the season, we want to win big games.
"We've got another one on Sunday against City. We're in the final now and we can concentrate on the Premier League."
"We said last year we wanted to defend it [the Champions League], give it a big shot and that's what we've done," Giggs told MUTV.
"The final is the biggest occasion you can be involved in and it's a great feeling to be there again. We've come out tonight and produced an unbelievable performance.
"We knew we'd get chances because this team creates them, it's just about putting them away. We did and that put the pressure right back on Arsenal, knowing they had to score three goals. That left gaps at the back for us to score more, and that's what happened."
United now have four games to seal the Barclays Premier League title before attentions can switch to Rome, and Giggs admits the players are relishing such high stakes.
"This is what we want," he said. "At this part of the season, we want to win big games.
"We've got another one on Sunday against City. We're in the final now and we can concentrate on the Premier League."
U18s
Nicky Ajose scored with a superb second-half shot to settle an entertaining game for Paul McGuinness' young team, having created goals in the first period for debutant Jesse Lingard and his strike partner Joshua King.
Lingard's goal came after just six minutes; receiving Ajose's measured pass into the area, the new boy wrongfooted two Blackburn players including the goalkeeper Swann before slotting the ball home.
Despite this early setback, Blackburn went on to dominate much of the first half and use the swirling winds to their advantage with some long-range shots testing United keeper Conor Devlin. One such effort from Banton in the 15th minute beat the young Irishman, only to strike the crossbar.
Rovers only had to wait a while longer for the first of their two equalisers, Banton slipping the ball into the box for Tom Hitchcock to finish with a low shot inside Devlin's left-hand post.
The scores stayed level at 1-1 until one minute before the break when Ajose raced to the right-wing byline and cut the ball back across the six-yard box for King to convert at the far post, albeit off the keeper who parried the shot but ultimately couldn't prevent it crossing the line.
If United's 2-1 lead was slightly against the run of play, then Rovers addressed this when Hitchcock grabbed his second goal shortly after half-time, stretching out a foot to poke Banton's left-wing cross beyond Devlin's dive.
The best goal was saved until last, Ajose firing in a stunning 25-yard shot midway through the second half to win the match 3-2 for the Reds and provide a memorable end to the season for some promising young players.
United: Devlin; Brown, Thorpe, Wootton, Fryers; Ajose, Brady, Cole, Gorman; Lingard, King. Subs: Morrison, Giverin, Keane, Barmby, Gorre.
Lingard's goal came after just six minutes; receiving Ajose's measured pass into the area, the new boy wrongfooted two Blackburn players including the goalkeeper Swann before slotting the ball home.
Despite this early setback, Blackburn went on to dominate much of the first half and use the swirling winds to their advantage with some long-range shots testing United keeper Conor Devlin. One such effort from Banton in the 15th minute beat the young Irishman, only to strike the crossbar.
Rovers only had to wait a while longer for the first of their two equalisers, Banton slipping the ball into the box for Tom Hitchcock to finish with a low shot inside Devlin's left-hand post.
The scores stayed level at 1-1 until one minute before the break when Ajose raced to the right-wing byline and cut the ball back across the six-yard box for King to convert at the far post, albeit off the keeper who parried the shot but ultimately couldn't prevent it crossing the line.
If United's 2-1 lead was slightly against the run of play, then Rovers addressed this when Hitchcock grabbed his second goal shortly after half-time, stretching out a foot to poke Banton's left-wing cross beyond Devlin's dive.
The best goal was saved until last, Ajose firing in a stunning 25-yard shot midway through the second half to win the match 3-2 for the Reds and provide a memorable end to the season for some promising young players.
United: Devlin; Brown, Thorpe, Wootton, Fryers; Ajose, Brady, Cole, Gorman; Lingard, King. Subs: Morrison, Giverin, Keane, Barmby, Gorre.
Sir Alex Ferguson, Manchester United manager
We had a good start to the game and that makes a difference. Two quick goals knocked the wind out their sails. They are a young team and whatever level you are playing at you can't recover from that. From the club's point of view, I have said many times we should have won this competition more than we have: We have the quality. When the chips are down [this team] don't let me down. The third goal was great and the speed of the play was fantastic. Good players will always be judged on their performances, ability and belief but the good thing tonight was they played with each other; they all played their part. Ronaldo made the difference but if you looked back at the game, at the movement of Park and the running of Fletcher, you have to ask: 'Who was the Man of the Match?'
Is the gulf between United and Arsenal widening? I think we are at our strongest at the moment and Arsenal have one or two injury problems and that has been a key issue for them. We will look at Arsenal at the start of next season as one of our big threats. I know exactly how Arsène Wenger feels. When you work as hard as he has and have been there as long as he has been you deserve success. The problem for Arsène and myself is the longer you have been in the game the more labels you have attached to you. It is success or failure. If you win you are the greatest; if you don't you're useless. I don't think you have to win the European Cup to be a great manager, but unfortunately the media do.
I watched Barcelona on Saturday and they were absolutely fantastic – they could have scored ten, but they go to Chelsea without Carles Puyol and Rafael Márquez and that's a big problem for them. If you ask me who I want to play in the final, neither of them – I think we should have a bye!
Is the gulf between United and Arsenal widening? I think we are at our strongest at the moment and Arsenal have one or two injury problems and that has been a key issue for them. We will look at Arsenal at the start of next season as one of our big threats. I know exactly how Arsène Wenger feels. When you work as hard as he has and have been there as long as he has been you deserve success. The problem for Arsène and myself is the longer you have been in the game the more labels you have attached to you. It is success or failure. If you win you are the greatest; if you don't you're useless. I don't think you have to win the European Cup to be a great manager, but unfortunately the media do.
I watched Barcelona on Saturday and they were absolutely fantastic – they could have scored ten, but they go to Chelsea without Carles Puyol and Rafael Márquez and that's a big problem for them. If you ask me who I want to play in the final, neither of them – I think we should have a bye!
Sir Alex makes case for United's hidden depth
Sir Alex Ferguson urged fans to look beyond Cristiano Ronaldo's headline-grabbing performance in the 3-1 win at Arsenal FC that sent Manchester United FC to the UEFA Champions League final. A goal up after the first leg, the reigning European champions killed Arsenal's hopes with goals inisde the first eleven minutes from Ji-Sung Park and Ronaldo, setting up what Arsène Wenger called "the most disappointing night" of his career. Ronaldo compounded his misery with a glorious third goal, though Sir Alex felt his side were not outshone by the prodigious goalscorer.
Ronaldo leads ruthless United to Rome
Manchester United FC are just one step away from becoming the first club to retain the trophy in the UEFA Champions League era after inflicting a crushing 3-1 defeat on Arsenal FC to book their passage to the final.
Blue the colour
Arsenal's hopes effectively vanished inside the opening eleven minutes after first Ji-Sung Park, capitalising on a slip by Kieran Gibbs, and then Cristiano Ronaldo, catching Manuel Almunia out with a free-kick, struck for United. Trailing 3-0 on aggregate there was no way back for the demoralised home side and Ronaldo salted their wounds with the evening's third goal just after the hour. The only downside for Sir Alex Ferguson's team was the dismissal of Darren Fletcher, who will now miss the final, for fouling Cesc Fàbregas to concede the penalty from which Robin van Persie struck Arsenal's futile late reply.
Audacity
If it felt in that moment that all the noise and energy and optimism had drained out of the stadium, things rapidly got worse. Arsenal had not conceded a home goal in the competition for 514 minutes but shipped a second just three minutes later as Ronaldo did what he had done in Porto in the previous round – scoring from a position where few players would even contemplate shooting, beating Almunia with an audacious free-kick from 40 metres out and to the right of goal. Almunia, who had done so much to keep Arsenal in the tie at Old Trafford, seemed caught by surprise, diving in vain across his goal as Ronaldo flashed the ball over the two-man defensive wall and inside the near post.
Clinical counterattacking
Arsenal now needed four goals but there seemed little chance of that against a United side opening up their shell-shocked opponents with ease. Arsène Wenger's men could have conceded again as Rooney's curling strike drew a fingertip save from Almunia. Emmanuel Eboué replaced the unfortunate Gibbs at the interval but United were soon threatening again as Ronaldo drew a fine near-post stop from Almunia. Such is the quality of United's counterattacking that it was little surprise when the champions struck an exquisitely worked third after 61 minutes.
Exquisite third
Ronaldo's backheel to Park was the spark for a lightning counter: the Korean sped forward, supplied Rooney down the left and the England forward returned the ball crossfield to meet Ronaldo's run into the box where the Portuguese swept home. "We're going to Italy" sang the happy United fans but unfortunately for Fletcher, he will not be after he was adjudged to have tripped Fàbregas prior to Van Persie's 76th-minute penalty. Still there is no question that United, unbeaten in the competition for 24 months, will be travelling to Rome in expectation rather than hope.
Clinical counterattacking
Arsenal now needed four goals but there seemed little chance of that against a United side opening up their shell-shocked opponents with ease. Arsène Wenger's men could have conceded again as Rooney's curling strike drew a fingertip save from Almunia. Emmanuel Eboué replaced the unfortunate Gibbs at the interval but United were soon threatening again as Ronaldo drew a fine near-post stop from Almunia. Such is the quality of United's counterattacking that it was little surprise when the champions struck an exquisitely worked third after 61 minutes.
Exquisite third
Ronaldo's backheel to Park was the spark for a lightning counter: the Korean sped forward, supplied Rooney down the left and the England forward returned the ball crossfield to meet Ronaldo's run into the box where the Portuguese swept home. "We're going to Italy" sang the happy United fans but unfortunately for Fletcher, he will not be after he was adjudged to have tripped Fàbregas prior to Van Persie's 76th-minute penalty. Still there is no question that United, unbeaten in the competition for 24 months, will be travelling to Rome in expectation rather than hope.
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