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Tag: Porto

  • Chelsea beat Porto in Champions League quarter-finals

    Chelsea beat Porto in Champions League quarter-finals

    Chelsea bounced back from a testing few days to earn a commanding first-leg quarter-final away win over Porto in the Champions League.

    Mason Mount’s clever turn and finish in the first half helped bring some welcome relief to Blues manager Thomas Tuchel after his side’s heavy defeat to West Brom on Saturday, which was followed by a training ground incident between team-mates Kepa Arrizabalaga and Antonio Rudiger.

    Ben Chilwell added a late second after a mistake by Corona, moments after substitute Christian Pulisic had hit the bar.

    Having conceded five goals against West Brom, Chelsea produced a dogged defensive performance to earn a seventh clean sheet in nine European games this season.

    Skipper Cesar Azpilicueta’s vital block denied Corona before Edouard Mendy kept out Pepe’s header.

    With both legs of this tie in Spain at Sevilla’s Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan Stadium because of coronavirus travel restrictions between Portugal and the UK, this was Porto’s ‘home’ game, meaning Chelsea’s two away goals put them in pole position before next Tuesday’s second leg.

  • UCL: N’Golo Kante fit for Chelsea ahead of Porto clash

    UCL: N’Golo Kante fit for Chelsea ahead of Porto clash

    N’Golo Kante will be available for Chelsea tonight against Champions League opponents Porto.

    Chelsea have been given a huge boost with Kante and Christian Pulisic named in the squad for Wednesday night’s clash at Porto.

    Blues boss Thomas Tuchel has confirmed both players are fit to travel for the Champions League quarter-final first-leg.

    Tuchel confirmed: “They are fit enough to be in the squad and will be in the squad so this is good news.

    “Christian went out right before the injury could happen.

    “He said at half-time he felt if he continued it would be an injury coming so we had to take him off.

    “Tammy is in the squad and [Kante] just did the last test and will be on the bench.

    “He feels very comfortable and comfortable enough to be on the bench.”

  • Tuchel, Kovacic deny celebrating Chelsea draw with Porto

    Tuchel, Kovacic deny celebrating Chelsea draw with Porto

    Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel has denied claims from Porto that they celebrated being drawn with them for the Champions League quarterfinals.

    The accusation came as a surprise to Tuchel.

    “In the Champions League, we wouldn’t celebrate any draw. We respect every team,” said the German.

    “We come from a competition in which we are able to lose against the team 19th in the table 5-2 (West Bromwich). So we know how humbly we have to approach every game.

    “In the quarter-finals of the Champions League, if you wish for an opponent you will lose yourself in crazy mind games.”

    Porto defender Pepe has made the claim this week.

    Blues midfielder Mateo Kovacic also said: “It’s strange to hear that from Pepe because I played with him for three years. I don’t know what he means or if he actually said it. But of course not, we didn’t celebrate.

    “Me? I didn’t celebrate because when I played before with Real Madrid I know that in these stages there are no lucky opponents or bad opponents.”

  • Cristiano Ronaldo best of all time – Pepe

    Cristiano Ronaldo best of all time – Pepe

    Porto defender Pepe has heaped praise on Juventus striker and Portugal teammate Cristiano Ronaldo.

    The pair played together at Real Madrid.

    “I admire Cristiano a lot, for me he’s the best player of all time,” said Pepe in an interview with TNT Sports.

    “Ronaldo managed to do what no one else did. He won in England, Spain, Italy, and even in Portugal. He was our captain, many people criticise him without knowing who he really is.

    “Ronaldo was with me at Real Madrid when Casillas knocked me out twice. On one occasion Cristiano came to see me in the hospital, because he saw that my injury was a serious one.

    “During the Champions League match, I told him ‘You will play because I want to win with you on the field’. Cristiano replied ‘Okay, with me you will win on the field, but I will be the one to make it to the next round.”

  • UCL: Don’t blame Ronaldo for Juve exit – Del Piero

    UCL: Don’t blame Ronaldo for Juve exit – Del Piero

    Juventus legend Alex del Piero insists Cristiano Ronaldo shouldn’t be blamed for their Champions League elimination.

    Porto bounced Juve out of the competition last night at the round 16 stage, despite being a man down in the second-leg.

    Del Piero said: “Cristiano has responsibilities, of course. He didn’t have many chances, but he wasted that header that he used to always take advantage of. However, it can’t just be his fault. Juve played for more than an hour 11 against 10.”

    The journalist Paolo Condó, on the same TV set, was blunt about the Portuguese: “Cristiano was signed to compete at the highest level in the Champions League. In the first two seasons the rest of the team collapsed, this time he too.

    “Before the game I asked (sporting director Fabio) Paratici about his renewal, I think that now he would give me a negative answer.”

  • Ten-man Porto enter Champions League quarters with late away goal at Juventus

    Ten-man Porto enter Champions League quarters with late away goal at Juventus

    Ten-man Porto upset Juventus to reach the Champions League quarter-finals on away goals after a 4-4 aggregate draw in spite of losing 3-2 to the Italian side on Tuesday.

    Sergio Oliveira’s extra-time free-kick for Porto’s second goal proved decisive for the visitors.

    Porto dominated the first half and took the lead in the 19th minute with Oliveira’s penalty taking them into the break in front as they looked comfortable at the Juventus Stadium.

    But with the first attack of the second half Juve’s Federico Chiesa, who scored their goal in the 2-1 last-16, first-leg defeat in Portugal, arrowed a strike into the top corner to give his side hope four minutes after the re-start.

    The game turned further in Juve’s favour as Mehdi Taremi needlessly got sent off for picking up a second yellow card in the 54th minute for kicking the ball away, with Chiesa levelling the scoreline on aggregate with his head in the 63rd minute.

    The hosts had chances to win the tie but the game went to extra time and the drama was far from over as Porto won a free-kick which Oliveira drilled home to spark wild scenes of celebration amongst the players and coaching staff.

    Adrien Rabiot’s header three minutes from time for Juve ensured a grandstand finish in an enthralling encounter, but Porto held on for a famous victory.

  • 10-man Porto dump Juventus out of Champions League

    10-man Porto dump Juventus out of Champions League

    Ten-man Porto have dumped Juventus out of the UEFA Champions League, wining on away goal rule.

    The first leg had ended 2-1 in favour of Porto in Portugal, but Juventus won the second leg 3-2, and 4-4 aggregate.

    An away goal rule sent Porto into the quarter-finals at the expense of Juventus, with Cristiano Ronaldo missing an opportunity to get to another Champions League final with his team.

    Sergio Oliveira was the hero of the day as his brace sent Porto through.

    He opened scoring on 19 minutes through a penalty, sending the ball low into the left of the net, giving goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny no chance.

    Juventus responded on 49 minutes through Federico Chiesa. He received a precise pass inside the box from Cristiano Ronaldo and he beats the goalkeeper with a brilliant shot into the top right.

    Chiesa got his brace and made it 2-1 for Juventus on 64 minutes.

    Juan Cuadrado swung the ball deep into the box and found Chiesa unmarked, and his close-range header flew past the keeper into the roof of the net.

    With 3-3 aggregate, the game moved to extra time, with a more dramatic finis

    A free-kick from Oliveira made it 2-2 for Porto and 4-3 on aggregate, with Juventus needing to score two goals if they must go through.

    Oliveira took the free-kick with a powerful low drive that went inside the left-hand post and ended up behind the goalkeeper.

    Juventus quickly scored a third goal and pressed for the winner.

    Adrien Rabiot connected with the ball from the resulting corner and placed a precise header past the stranded goalkeeper and into the top left corner.

    Porto held on for a historic victory over a lackluster Juventus.

  • Juve fullback: We gifted Porto Champions League victory

    Juve fullback: We gifted Porto Champions League victory

    Juventus fullback Danilo admits frustration after their 2-1 defeat at Champions League opponents Porto.

    The defeat leaves Juve an uphill challenge for the second-leg of this round 16 tie.

    “This is the Champions League, we knew it was going to be a tough game against a team that works really hard and prepares for this type of fixture. We certainly cannot go around gifting them goals the way we did tonight,” Danilo told Sky Italia.

    “This is not the game we expected. Maybe we need to remember that games start from 0-0 and the first minute, so we woke up too late.

    “After that, it’s difficult to regain your confidence, as they seem to reach every ball first and it’s a struggle to find spaces.”

    Danilo was booked and will be suspended for the second leg.

  • UCL: Porto punish poor Juve to secure first-leg win

    UCL: Porto punish poor Juve to secure first-leg win

    Porto scored in the first minute of each half to edge ahead in their Champions League tie against Juventus.

    Mehdi Taremi pounced on Rodrigo Bentancur’s poor back pass to slide in and convert after only 63 seconds.

    Juventus were being outplayed but Adrien Rabiot saw an acrobatic effort pushed away, and Moussa Marega stroked home 19 seconds into the second half.

    But Federico Chiesa pulled a goal back on 82 minutes heading into the return leg of the last-16 tie on 9 March.

  • I never pushed Porto to sell me to Man Utd – Telles

    I never pushed Porto to sell me to Man Utd – Telles

    Manchester United fullback Alex Telles insists he never forced through his sale from Porto

    this summer.

    As United haggled over a price, speculation was rife that Telles had demanded to leave Porto to ensure he got his Old Trafford move.

    But Telles told O Jogo: “I never mentioned leaving, the president knows that. That’s because I felt very happy and at ease, I was making dreams come true at the club, on a collective and individual level, but all professionals have dreams and goals and I never hid that the Premier League was a child’s dream and an athlete’s dream.

    “I waited for the right opportunity, but I never failed to leave my gift, to make it worthwhile at the club. So I am very grateful to FC Porto.

    “I never forced FC Porto to leave, not at all.

    “I have always been very faithful to my work and the present and never thought about the future. I let things happen in the best possible way.”