VALENCIA. Spain. May 4 With the benefit of hindsight the gamble backfired - unfortunately for Barcelona even more spectacularly than they could ever have feared, reports AFP.

Tuesday's 4-1 hiding by neighbours Valencia in their Champions Cup semi-final first leg has left Barca's Dutch coach Louis Van Gaal with plenty of food for thought after his team choked on an extravagant helping of "paella valenciana".

Van Gaal, desperate to go down alongside compatriot Johan Cruyff in the annals of his famous clubs glorious history, wagered that his side's traditional attacking potency would be enough to book a place bi the final on May 24 at the Stade de France.

But the Catalan giants' cavalier attitude to defensive duties, playing Just three men at the back for (he away leg, coupled with an over reliance on vouth. proved their undoing.

"It was not a mistake to play-three at the back. But when a team loses a coach loses." Van Gaal admitted after what the El Periodlco dally termed his chib's "crucifixion" at the Mestalla stadium as Valencia overwhelmed them with two goals from Miguel Angel Angulo. a Gaizka Mendieta penalty and a Claudio Lopez special.

"Had we scored early on it could have been a completely different game." he added for'-lornly.

I ne sound beating was Barca's worst mauling since a 4-0 home reverse against Dynamo Kyiv three stasohs ago and Wednesday's headlines will have made miserable reading for Van Gaal and his cohorts.

"Valencia have a foot in the final. They vaporised Barca in an epic match." trumpeted ABC. while Marca was equally hyperbolic. saying: "Valencia stuck the knife into Barca."

Valencia-based daily Lev-ante summed up by observing: "Paris swims into view" for their local favourites while AS

sports dally said simply: "This way to Paris ".

Van Gaal must now fear for Ids future after two previous first-phase exits and what must surely now prove one defeat too many at the top level, even If Barca can still reach the final by repeating their 3-0 league success at the Nou Camp over their rivals earlier this season.

Barca have suffered a huge blow to their credibility hot on the heels of a controversial Spanish Cup exit after they refused to play a semi-final second leg at home to Atletico Madrid, claiming too many’ of their players were on international duty.

By unhappy coincidence, in that competition Barca were also three goals adrift from the first game.

But a domestic Cup success would not have kept Van Gaal in his hot seat. At Barcelona, only a European crown can

guarantee even a medium-term tenure.

Van,Gaal's Legions of critics in Catalunya will point, not Just to defensive shortcomings, but also to a decision to field youngsters such as forward Gabri and Carlos Puyol, insisting the team structure is more important than individual contributions. In theory he is right, but as Barca's Finnish striker Jari Litmanen shrewdly observed: "Football always throws up surprises. The favourites don't always win.”

Litmanen and Van Gaal

know that all too well as they were architects of the 1995 final success over Juventus, achieved by a young, untried Ajax side.

Now they are experiencing the other side of the coin.

For Valencia, they have succeeded in making a mockery of the Champions League format as they now stand on the verge of the final having beaten the reigning domestic champions without having landed the Primera Liga themselves in three decades.

They also failed to score in two games against Manchester United in the group stages but with the sudden death format not applying to the first dozen matches of the tournament Hector Cuper's men must feel like the cat with nine lives.

Only such a format can permit a side to lose three "cup" matches and still live to tell the tale.

Yet Cuper will not dwell on that thought for long with next week's second leg already uppermost in his mind.

"We have to put a stop to the euphoria. I've not given Paris or the final a thought yet." he insisted.

Despite their fine run. the future may not be so rosy for Valencia.

Even though two-goal hero Angulo insisted that "the win proves we have one of the best squads in Europe" the glue holding the group together may lose its adhesiveness come season's end.

With Parma running the rule over Francisco Farlnos to replace Chelsea target Dino Baggio and AC Milan said ready to pounce for Gerard Lopez Segu. who followed up a hattrick against Lazio in the quarters by switching roles brilliantly to mark Dani out of the game Tuesday, the Italian phrasebooks are already out.

Spain may be dominating this season's Champions League but the lure of the lira remains as strong as ever.

And should Valencia complete the job by lifting the tro-Khy in three weeks time Cuper imself could end up Serie A bound.