At the end they trooped off disconsolate and not a little dazed. They had given their all with stirring defiance yet they must have felt as if they had taken a knock-out punch at the very last. In one way they had. Leeds United led this night for almost 90 minutes but in the fifth minute of injury time that came for no obvious reason, they were clawed back from qualification for the next phase of this competition by the meanest of mean feet, Rivaldo's left.

It was a strike in a million, literally if it ultimately denies Leeds the £10 million promised in the next group. Once they regain their sense of perspective this morning, however, Leeds will realise that the future can still be theirs: a draw in the San Siro a fortnight today will send them through at the expense of Barcelona. The fact that AC Milan have progressed already should help the Yorkshiremen.

The point would put Barcelona out, something that would please Milan. It would also erase the sense of injustice in Leeds. It was pronounced, not because Barcelona did not deserve their equaliser - they did - but because it came so agonisingly late.

It was such that after the final whistle matters threatened to get out of hand. Things quickly defused themselves and Leeds and David O'Leary were left with bitter reflection. But also hope.

"Their coach will say there should have been 10 minutes of extra time," said O'Leary. "But I couldn't understand the four minutes. But there's no point in harping on about it. The ref gave it, they scored, that's life."

Addressing the next game, O'Leary then said: "I think it's good Milan have qualified. I hope they look kindly on us."

If Leeds play in Italy as they did here then they will not need Milan's assistance. Even with Ian Harte, Danny Mills, Erik Bakke and Olivier Dacourt returning, the team's average age was 23, yet Jonathan Woodgate, Lee Bowyer and Mark Viduka played with real maturity and class. Then there was Paul Robinson in goal, 21 nine days ago. He made four superb interventions.

Robinson's opposite number Richard Dutruel made a couple himself although his most telling contribution came in the fifth minute when Bowyer sent in a free-kick from the left.

Dominic Matteo had fed Viduka skilfully on the left wing initially. The Australian skipped around Abelardo forcing the Spaniard to block him. Bowyer took the kick and was presumably aiming for a forward's head with his centre. Instead the ball flew goalwards at speed, perhaps surprising Dutruel, who flapped at the ball with Seamanesque uncertainty. To a mixture of joy and disbelief the ball soared in.

That put Bowyer on the same goals tally as Rivaldo in the Champions League, a comparison not over-flattering to the troubled Bowyer last night. Making a brave block from Sergi on the edge of his own box one minute, forcing Dutruel into a low save at the other end the next, Bowyer was everywhere.

Rivaldo was fairly prominent himself, bringing memorable saves from Robinson early. The first, after 22 minutes, was a slick header to Xavi's inswinging free-kick. For once Rivaldo had eluded Woodgate but Robinson sprang to his left to push the ball a round the post acrobatically.

The second came as the first half closed, a typically fierce Rivaldo free-kick from 25 yards. The ball skidded past the Leeds wall, Robinson saw it late but managed to divert it wide.

Leeds led but Barcelona were running the game. Some of their midfield passing was untouchable but too often the final ball was either flawed or found Woodgate, like Bowyer a ubiquitous Leeds presence.

Viduka was a third who fell into that category. His improvement since returning from the Olympics has been marked and here he offered a perfect target-man display. Strong when under challenge from behind, Viduka was also deft with his footwork and with a better cross 10 minutes after the interval, he might have set up Alan Smith for a Leeds second.

That, though, was one of Leeds's increasingly infrequent attacks. With Phillip Cocu and Xavi growing in influence in the middle and Simao beginning to sprint dangerously down the right, Robinson made his third outstanding stop of the evening tipping over a powerful header from Alfonso on the hour.

Ten more minutes and Robinson had made another two blocks from Rivaldo and the Brazilian's frustration seemed complete when he was ruled offside when Alfonso finally beat Robinson with a deflected shot with 14 minutes to go.

Shortly after that Leeds then had the opportunity of a decisive second but Bowyer passed to Viduka when he could have had a shot. Viduka's touch let him down this time. But at least Leeds were holding on.

Then came injury time. Carles Puyol launched one last attack. Cocu received the ball on the left. Cocu crossed, Gerard met it with a great header only for the ball to canon off the woodwork.

It landed at the left foot of Rivaldo 12 yards out. That, as they say, was finally that. For now.

After the game, O'Leary hailed Robinson's goalkeeping heroics. "I think he'll take over from Nigel Martyn eventually and be outstanding goalkeeper for Leeds for years. Hopefully he'll do the same for England."

Speaking of Rivaldo's late equaliser, O'Leary said: "I'm gutted at the way it happened, `and I don't know where the four minutes of injury time came from, but these things happen in football and you have to take them on the chin and get on with it.

"We'll fight another day over there (in Milan) and hopefully we'll get a few injured players back for that one.

Leeds United: Robinson, Kelly, Harte, Woodgate, Mills, Bowyer, Dacourt (Burns 75), Bakke, Matteo, Smith, Viduka. Subs Not Used: Milosevic, McPhail, Jones, Hay, Evans, Hackworth.

Barcelona: Dutruel, Reiziger (Dani 66), Abelardo, Alfonso, Cocu, Rivaldo, Sergi, Xavi, Simao, Enrique (Gerard 66), Puyol. Subs Not Used: Arnau, de Boer, De la Pena, Gabri, Santamaria.