Galeno struck late to win it for Porto against a lacklustre Arsenal side
Arsenal were stunned as Galeno scored in stoppage time to give Porto the advantage from the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie.
The Brazilian winger took a few touches to set himself before curling a wonderful finish into the net, past the despairing full-stretch dive of David Raya.
Sergio Conceicao’s home side should have been ahead at the break after Galeno hit a shot off the post and somehow put the rebound wide.
That was a huge let-off for Arsenal, but Galeno made no mistake in the fourth added minute at the end of the game.
Nico Gonzalez’s powerful strike had earlier sailed over the bar as the home side tried to open the scoring in the first half.
The Gunners dominated possession but failed to have a single shot on target in the match, with William Saliba and Kai Havertz heading wide from corners.
The second leg will take place at Emirates Stadium on 12 March, when Arsenal will aim to reach the quarter-finals for the first time since 2009-10.
Arsenal had plenty of set-piece opportunities but lacked a precise finish. From one of those situations, a corner from Declan Rice was met on the volley by Leandro Trossard who blazed over the bar.
Lacklustre Arsenal punished by streetwise Porto
Arsenal are just the fifth side to lose five successive knockout stage games in the Champions League
In their first Champions League knockout tie since 2017, Arsenal looked nervy and failed to show the dazzling form that has brought them 21 goals in their opening five Premier League games of the calendar year.
For only the second time on record (since 2003-04) the Gunners did not have a shot on target in a Champions League game, previously failing in such a way at Barcelona in the last 16 in March 2011.
Bukayo Saka was kept quiet by the Porto defence while Havertz put his headed chance off target as clear-cut openings were few and far between.
Mikel Arteta’s side were seemingly holding on for a draw but switched off right at the end and were duly punished by the brilliance of Galeno.
Porto sit third in the Liga Portugal, seven points behind Benfica and Sporting Lisbon, but they were always in control against Arsenal, who have yet to win at the Estadio do Dragao in four attempts, drawing once and now losing on three occasions.
The Gunners have won the first leg of just one of their last 12 two-legged knockout ties in the competition (D2, L9), losing each of the last seven first-leg matches.
Arsenal will need a much-improved performance in London next month if they are to ensure it is not eight successive last-16 eliminations from Europe’s top-tier competition.
Player of the match
Galeno Galeno
FC Porto
Squad number13Player nameGaleno
Squad number 22 Player named Varela
Squad number10Player nameFrancisco Conceição
Squad number18Player nameWendell
Squad number16Player nameGonzález
Squad number29Player nameAntonio MartÃnez
Squad number30Player nameEvanilson
Squad number17Player nameJaime
Squad number11Player namePepÃa Aquino
Squad number3Player namePepe
Squad number99Player nameDiogo Costa
Squad number23Player nameJoão Mário
Squad number31Player nameOtávio
Squad number70Player nameGonçalo Borges
Squad number6Player nameEustaquio
Line-ups
FC Porto
Formation 4-2-3-1
99Diogo Costa
23Neto Lopes3Pepe31AtaÃde da Silva18Wendell
22Varela16González
10Fernandes da Conceição11Aquino Cossa13Rodrigues do Nascimento Galeno
30de Lima Barbosa
- 99Diogo Costa
- 23Neto Lopes
- 3Pepe
- 31AtaÃde da Silva
- 18WendellSubstituted forEustáquioat 90’minutes
- 22 Varela
- 16GonzálezBooked at 62minsSubstituted forJaimeat 81’minutes
- 10Fernandes da ConceiçãoBooked at 52minsSubstituted forAlbuquerque Borgesat 85’minutes
- 11Aquino Cossa
- 13Rodrigues do Nascimento Galeno
- 30de Lima BarbosaSubstituted forMartÃnezat 85’minutes
Substitutes
- 2Cardoso
- 6Eustaquius
- 8Grujic
- 14Morais Ramos
- 15Sánchez
- 17Jaime
- 19Namaso
- 20Russian Franc
- 28 Silva Baró
- 29MartÃnez
- 70Albuquerque Borges
- 97da Silva Figueiredo Freitas
Arsenal
Formation 4-3-3
22Raya
4White2Saliba6Gabriel15Kiwior
8Ãdegaard41Rice29Havertz
7Saka19Trossard11Martinelli
- 22Raya
- 4White
- 2Saliba
- 6Gabriel
- 15KiwiorBooked at 57mins
- 8Ãdegaard
- 41RiceBooked at 2mins
- 29HavertzBooked at 60mins
- 7Saka
- 19TrossardSubstituted forJorginhoat 74’minutes
- 11 Martinelli
Substitutes
- 1Ramsdale
- 10Smith Rowe
- 14Nketiah
- 17Cédric Soares
- 20Jorginho
- 21Fábio Vieira
- 24Nelson
- 25Elneny
- 31Hein
- 63Nwaneri
- 73Sweet
- 79Heaven
Referee: Serdar Gözübüyük
Attendance:49,111
Live Text
Match ends, FC Porto 1, Arsenal 0.
Second Half ends, FC Porto 1, Arsenal 0.
Attempt missed. Martin Ãdegaard (Arsenal) left footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the right.
Goal! FC Porto 1, Arsenal 0. Galeno (FC Porto) right footed shot from outside the box to the bottom right corner. Assisted by Otávio.
Attempt missed. Gabriel Magalhães (Arsenal) header from the centre of the box is just a bit too high. Assisted by Declan Rice with a cross following a set piece situation.
Bukayo Saka (Arsenal) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Foul by Galeno (FC Porto).
Substitution, FC Porto. Stephen Eustáquio replaces Wendell because of an injury.
Foul by Ben White (Arsenal).
Iván Jaime (FC Porto) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Jakub Kiwior (Arsenal).
Wendell (FC Porto) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Corner, Arsenal. Conceded by Otávio.
Substitution, FC Porto. Gonçalo Borges replaces Francisco Conceição.
Substitution, FC Porto. Toni Martínez replaces Evanilson.
Substitution, FC Porto. Iván Jaime replaces Nico González.
Foul by Jakub Kiwior (Arsenal).
Wendell (FC Porto) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Corner, Arsenal. Conceded by Otávio.
Substitution, Arsenal. Jorginho replaces Leandro Trossard.
2024-02-21 22:38:40
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