|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Porto | 1.35 | 1.25 | 7.50 | 1.25 | 1.25 | 10.00 | 1.25 | 1.25 |
| Draw | 5.00 | 5.25 | 1.11 | 5.50 | 5.45 | 1.03 | 6.00 | 5.00 |
| Apoel Nicosia | 9.00 | 12.50 | 34.00 | 13.00 | 11.00 | 35.00 | 14.80 | 13.00 |
Porto 1-1 APOEL: Ailton strike cancels out Hulk effort as Cypriots hold out for surprise point and stay top of Group G
Vitor Pereira's side lose more ground in Group G as the Cypriot champions pick up a hard-fought draw, in what was a free-flowing encounter at the Dragao
By Livio Caferoglu
Getty
Porto continue to struggle in their quest for qualifying for the knockout stages of the Champions League after a disappointing 1-1 draw to Group G rivals APOEL on Wednesday.
The Portuguese champions took the lead through the set-piece exploits of Brazilian striker Hulk early in the first-half, but Ailton's vicious strike from distance ensured the Cypriot high-flyers returned to their native shores with a valuable point for their European campaign.
It was a cagey start to proceedings in Oporto, but with the hosts retaining much of the ball in the early stages, as the best of the early opportunities fell to young forward Kleber, whose efforts from close range were impressively stopped by Dionisis Chiotis in the APOEL goal.
Soon enough, the overriding dominance of Porto was finally rewarded on 13 minutes, after Hulk curled in a direct free-kick from 25 yards, beating Chiotis at his near post, much to the gripe of the former AEK Athens man who was visibly frustrated at not preventing the goal.
However, the visiting team soon created their first worthwhile chance of the encounter, and it proved to be fruitful as Ailton smashed a rocket from range after shifting the ball onto his right foot and leaving Fernando for dead just 12 minutes later.
Porto remained in the hunt for the winning goal through Kleber acting as the home side's most likely outlet, but APOEL did not budge in their attempts to resist Portuguese pressure.
The second-half was more of the same in terms of intensity, with the yellow card tally beginning to pile up as both teams showcased their intent on gaining all three points in a heated manner.
Despite Porto possessing the upper hand on goal-bound attempts, it was the Cypriots who had the best chances to come out victorious, as late strikes from Constantinos Charalambides and substitute Aldo Adorno were whiskers away from proving to be the winners, but Helton continued to stand tall as both teams settle for a share of the spoils in Group G.
The Portuguese champions took the lead through the set-piece exploits of Brazilian striker Hulk early in the first-half, but Ailton's vicious strike from distance ensured the Cypriot high-flyers returned to their native shores with a valuable point for their European campaign.
|
Sign up with 188BET for a FREE bet up to £25 – Great Prices, Every Game |
|
Open an account with Sportingbet today and get up to £50 in free bets! |
|
Sign up with William Hill for a free bet up to £25 |
|
Sign up with bet365 for a free bet up to £200 |
|
Sign up with Paddy Power - Bet £10, Get £20! |
It was a cagey start to proceedings in Oporto, but with the hosts retaining much of the ball in the early stages, as the best of the early opportunities fell to young forward Kleber, whose efforts from close range were impressively stopped by Dionisis Chiotis in the APOEL goal.
Soon enough, the overriding dominance of Porto was finally rewarded on 13 minutes, after Hulk curled in a direct free-kick from 25 yards, beating Chiotis at his near post, much to the gripe of the former AEK Athens man who was visibly frustrated at not preventing the goal.
However, the visiting team soon created their first worthwhile chance of the encounter, and it proved to be fruitful as Ailton smashed a rocket from range after shifting the ball onto his right foot and leaving Fernando for dead just 12 minutes later.
Porto remained in the hunt for the winning goal through Kleber acting as the home side's most likely outlet, but APOEL did not budge in their attempts to resist Portuguese pressure.
The second-half was more of the same in terms of intensity, with the yellow card tally beginning to pile up as both teams showcased their intent on gaining all three points in a heated manner.
Despite Porto possessing the upper hand on goal-bound attempts, it was the Cypriots who had the best chances to come out victorious, as late strikes from Constantinos Charalambides and substitute Aldo Adorno were whiskers away from proving to be the winners, but Helton continued to stand tall as both teams settle for a share of the spoils in Group G.
| Sign up with 188BET for a FREE bet up to £25 – Great Prices, Every Game |
|
| Open an account with Sportingbet today and get up to £50 in free bets! |
|
| Sign up with William Hill for a free bet up to £25 |
|
| Sign up with bet365 for a free bet up to £200 |
|
| Sign up with Paddy Power - Bet £10, Get £20! |
|
Goal
Own Goal
Penalty
Penalty Missed
Yellow Card
Assist
Penalty Save
Penalty Shootout Goal
Penalty Shootout Miss
Yellow Card / Red Card
Red Card
Substitution IN
Substitution OUT
Injury
Goal.com Rating
Goal.com Man of the Match
Goal.com Flop of the Match
Top & Flop Global Ranking
Fans' Man of the Match
Fans' Flop of the Match
Match News
Top Scorers
| Player | Goals | Penalties | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Lionel Messi
Striker Barcelona |
14 | 4 |
|
Mario Gomez
Striker Bayern Munich |
13 | 0 |
|
Cristiano Ronaldo
Striker Real Madrid |
10 | 2 |
|
Karim Benzema
Striker Real Madrid |
7 | 0 |
|
Didier Drogba
Striker Chelsea |
6 | 0 |
