Welcome to our coverage of the clash between Porto and Atletico Madrid!
Atletico Madrid will finish in this group’s Europa League place unless Bayer Leverkusen better their result. If Atletico draw against Porto, Bayer Leverkusen will need to win against Club Brugge to make it into third. But, if Atletico lose, a draw will be enough to see Leverkusen playing at the European level next year. Club Brugge will top Group B if they match or better Porto’s result – otherwise Porto finish top. Both have already qualified.
Porto 2-1 Atletico Madrid
Taremi 5′
Eustaquio 24′
Marcano 90′ (OG)
KICK OFF!
1- Porto are playing in their traditional white and blue kit, whilst Atletico are wearing their yellow third kit.
3- Atletico win the first corner of the night, but the cross into the box is comfortably collected by Diogo Costa.
4- Porto immediately counter-attack
5- GOAL PORTO! 2-0! It’s all too easy for the hosts as they walk through the Atletico defence! Evanilson is played in behind the defence, before he plays a delicate pass across into the six yard box. Taremi latches onto the pass to tap the ball into an empty net. The visitors are famous for having a strong defence, but that was shambolic from Diego Simeone’s men.
Embed from Getty Images6- As it stands, Porto would finish top of the group on 12 points, whilst Atletico would finish bottom on 5 points. But, it is still all to play for in Portugal.
7- Taremi has now been directly involved in 7 goals in the Champions League this season. This is the most by an Iranian player in a single season in the competition on record since 2003-04.
11- Pepe is down injured for the hosts after a clash with Joao Felix. The right-back is forced to leave the pitch for treatment, but it looks like he will be returning.
13- MAJOR PORTO CHANCE! Galeno has a golden chance to double Porto’s lead. The hosts create some lovely link-up play in the middle of the park. The ball eventually finds it way to the Brazilian who attempts to side foot it past Jan Oblak. However, the goalkeeper makes himself big and denies the winger. Atletico Madrid can not get a foothold in this game so far!
17- Atletico work the ball in the midfield neatly, but a lobbed pass in behind is too heavy, and it goes out for a goal kick. Diego Simeone will not be happy with his team’s performance.
19- Joao Felix picks the ball up on the left flank, and drives into the box. However, he is easily blocked by the defender as it goes out for a goal kick.
21- Porto have met Atletico on 11 previous occasions in Europe, with the Portuguese side only winning two of those meetings and losing five. This match is certainly not over yet…
23- Corner Atletico! Saul and Reinildo link up nicely on the left flank. The Mozambique international whips in a heavy ball, which is cleared for a corner. From the resulting set-piece, the visitors fail to threaten the hosts.
24- GOAL PORTO! 2-0! Savic gifts the visitors a second goal! Sanusi plays a hopeful ball forward, which the centre-back woefully mistimes. Galeno latches onto the punt forward, before playing in a perfectly placed low cross into the box. Eustaquio latches onto the cross, and fires into the bottom left corner powerfully. It’s incredibly clinical from Porto, but Atletico Madrid know it was completely avoidable. The Portuguese giants are running away with this match and the Spanish giants look set to crashing out of Europe!
Embed from Getty Images28- Marcano plays a good throughball forward for Galeno to chase, but Oblak rushes out of his goal to claim the ball before the Brazilian can. This match seems to be heading in one way only…
31- ATLETICO GO CLOSE! De Paul gives the visitors their best chance of the match so far. A hopeful ball into the box is cleared by Porto. It falls into the feet of the Argentine, but his shot is tame and straight at the goalkeeper.
33- Gimenez tries his luck from 25 yards, but his effort is always rising and flies well over the crossbar! That shot sums up the evening for Diego Simeone’s men so far.
37- BIG SAVE! Porto come close to making it 3-0, but they are superbly denied by Jan Oblak. Evanilson plays a stunning back heal to Taremi, who holds the ball up, allowing Otavio to create an overlap. The Iranian feeds the ball to the Brazilian superbly, but the winger’s low shot is saved by Oblak!
39- YELLOW CARD! Marko Grujic goes into the box for a flaring arm into the face of Correa.
41- BLOCKED! Molina sprints and stretches to keep the ball in play. He eventually crosses the ball into the path of Correa. He smashes a shot first-time, but Marcano gets in the way to block the effort and deflect it out for a throw.
42- YELLOW CARD! Reinildo is the latest player to go into the book, after he leaves a high foot on Otavio.
45- There will be 2 added minutes at the Estadio Do Dragao!
HALF TIME! Porto 2-0 Atletico Madrid
As it stands, Porto would finish top of the group, whilst Atletico Madrid would finish bottom of the group and crash out of Europe.
Atletico scored two late goals against Cadiz last weekend, before eventually losing 3-2. Despite the first half going in one direction, it is not impossible that the Spanish giants mount a comeback.
SECOND HALF BEGINS! There is no changes for either side after the break.
47- Atletico go close! An audacious cross from the right hand flank is whipped in by Correa. Saul latches onto the cross, but he fails to connect with the ball strongly, and Costa collects comfortably.
48- YELLOW CARD! Stefan Savic is the next player to receive a yellow card, after he leaves a late challenge on Sanusi. There can be no complaints about that decision.
51- PORTO GO CLOSE! Taremi is played in behind the defence from a tight angle. The forward takes the ball in his stride superbly, but his low driven shot is straight at Jan Oblak. That would have finished the match off.
53- SUBSTITUTE! Wendell replaces Sanusi, who seems to be injured from Savic’s cynical challenge.
55- CHANCE! After Griezmann clips Taremi late, the resultant free-kick is played short to the Porto striker, whose cross from the byline is hacked away from danger by Gimenez. The traffic is only going in one direction at the moment.
60- SUBSTITUTES! Joao Felix and Saul Niguez are replaced by Yannick Carrasco and Matheus Cunha retrospectively.
62- PORTO CHANCE! Evanilson has a glorious chance to extend Porto’s lead. The Brazilian is played in behind the defence after some superb work by Taremi. However, the striker can only direct his shot high of the goal.
65- Porto Corner! The cross into the box is drilled to the front post, where Cardoso arrives to flick a shot wide of the post and into the side netting!
68- DISALLOWED GOAL! Atletico Madrid think they’ve pulled one back, but their joy is short-lived. Griezmann earns some luck after the ball is deflected into his direction. The Frenchman takes a touch before firing a left-footed shot into the top right corner. It’s a stunning finish from the forward, but VAR states there was a foul in the build-up. On later inspection, it seems VAR has made the wrong decision!
69- YELLOW CARDS! Fabio Cardoso and Rodrigo De Paul both earn a yellow card after a scuffle occurs from the resulting VAR decision.
73- Porto Corner. Wendell whips in a strong cross from the set-piece. Evanilson latches onto it, but he can only direct his header straight at Oblak.
Embed from Getty Images75- PORTO CHANCE! The hosts spring into lift on the counter-attack. Galeno is played in on goal, with just Oblak to beat. However, the Brazilian loses his balance as he tries to round the goalkeeper, so he fires his shot high and wide.
76- ATLETICO CHANCE! Carrasco has posed a real threat to Porto since coming on. He springs into life down the left hand flank and fires a powerful shot away. However, Costa parries his effort away comfortably.
80- Due to Leverkusen-Club Brugge still remaining 0-0, it means that Porto will finish top of the group as things stand, whilst Atletico will finish bottom with just five points.
81- SUBSTITUTE! Antonio Martinez comes on to replace Evanilson. It’s been a superb performance from the Brazilian today.
82- PORTO CHANCE! Galeno tries to create space for himself inside Atleti’s box, but can’t and lays the ball off to Wendell. He smashes a low first-time shot towards the bottom corner, which is seen late but still kept out by Oblak. Brilliant goalkeeping from Oblak!
85- SUBSTITUTE! Barrios replaces Correa.
87- ATLETICO CHANCE! Barrios’ wide ball to Molina is cut back to an unmarked Griezmann, but he can only put his first-time effort wide of the post!
90- There will be 5 added minutes at the end of this match.
90+1- The full time whistle has blown in the other group game, which means Porto will finish top of the group if they see this game out!
90+4- GOAL ATLETICO! It’s an own goal from Ivan Marcano to give the visitors a glim chance of securing Europa League football. The corner is whipped in, and a slight touch from Marcano takes it away from Costa, and into his own goal. The stress on the Porto bench has suddenly increased!
FULL TIME! PORTO 2-1 ATLETICO MADRID! The Spanish giants have crashed out of European football after a woeful performance in Porto. The hosts finish top of the group after earning a better result than Club Brugge. It’s delight for the hosts, but misery for the visitors!
Player Ratings – Porto
Diogo Costa – 8, Pepe – 8, Cardosa – 7, Marcano – 7, Sanusi – 8, Eustaquio – 8, Grujic 6, Otavio – 7, Galeno – 9, Evanilson – 8, Taremi – 9
Player Ratings – Atletico Madrid
Oblak – 8, Reinildo – 6, Savic – 3, Gimenez – 5, Saul Niguez – 4, Molina – 5, De Paul – 5, Witsel – 4, Felix – 4, Correa – 4, Griezmann – 6
