Porto claimed a crucial 3-1 victory in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final tie against Bayern Munich at the Estadio do Dragao this evening.
The hosts made the perfect start as Ricardo Quaresma scored from the penalty spot before adding his second of the night in just the 10th minute, but Bayern hit back through Thiago Alcantara before the break.
However, Jackson Martinez restored the two-goal advantage with an impressive finish in the second half as Porto recorded a deserved win.
Below, Sports Mole takes a look at the key talking points at the halfway stage in the tie.
Match statistics
PORTO
Shots: 6
On target: 4
Possession: 31%
Corners: 3
Fouls: 16
BAYERN
Shots: 5
On target: 3
Possession: 69%
Corners: 6
Fouls: 22
Was the result fair?
Porto certainly deserved the victory on a thrilling night of European football. From the first minute, Bayern were not able to match the home side's intensity and pace. If the early exchanges took the visitors by surprise, the biggest shock was perhaps the fact that Julen Lopetegui managed to stick to their gameplan for 90 minutes. Long spells of possession suggested that Bayern would get back into the match, but pressure didn't bring clear opportunities and the visitors were simply out-fought in every area of the pitch. The statistics prove that something was missing for Bayern. However, on an evening when Porto excelled, it would be unfair to focus on the German champions.
Porto's performance
Not since the days of Jose Mourinho have Porto managed to produce such a fantastic performance in the Champions League. When their supporters reflect on this display, it will be difficult for them to find many errors. Lopetegui's side started with a gameplan and the coach deserves the credit for coming up with an approach which brought the best out of his players and exposed Bayern's weaknesses. It was clear from the first whistle that Porto would not allow the visitors to enjoy possession at the back, and mistakes from Xabi Alonso and Dante led to the opening two goals inside 10 minutes.
Bayern were well short of their best, but Porto managed to capitalise on every error. In midfield, Hector Herrera and Casemiro displayed brilliant energy to cause problems for Alonso, Philipp Lahm and Thiago Alcantara. Those performances cut off the supply line to the Bayern attack, and pressing high created chances for Quaresma and Martinez. It was Martinez, in particular, who benefited from the approach as he led the line superbly and chased down apparent lost causes to ask regular questions of the visitors. Some may argue that Porto will struggle to produce a similar display at the Allianz Arena, but after this excellent win, they will make the trip full of confidence.
Bayern Munich's performance
Only twice this season have Bayern looked completely stunned by a team's performance. A defeat to Wolfsburg exposed a few weaknesses in the side, and Porto managed to target those areas to perfection. Dante and Jerome Boateng never looked comfortable at the back as the home side's pressing made their struggles to play out from the back obvious inside the first couple of minutes. Martinez stole the show with a stunning performance, but poor positioning and a lack of physicality from the central defensive duo invited the pressure from the Colombian.
Bayern were clearly weakened by the injuries to Arjen Robben, Franck Ribery, Bastian Schweinsteiger and a number of others, but Pep Guardiola will resist the urge to use that as an excuse. For once, his players looked uncomfortable in possession and two of his most dependable men - Alonso and Lahm - suffered most from Porto's style as they struggled to drop into deeper areas to pull the strings. When those two were prevented from making an impact in midfield, there was very little encouragement from other positions. Perhaps most surprising was Bayern's inability to create chances. In truth, the only time they sliced open the Porto defence resulted in Thiago's goal, and a repeat performance will simply not be good enough in the second leg.
Sports Mole's man of the match
Jackson Martinez: There were so many heroes on the pitch for Porto, but it was Martinez who added a touch of class to the attack on a night when the hosts caused constant problems for the Bayern defence. On his return from injury the Colombian delivered the goods. He chased down long balls, battled impressively with Dante and Boateng, before scoring a vital third goal with a fine finish in the second half.
Biggest gaffe
A mistake led to each of Porto's three goals, but if Bayern do go out of the competition, fans may look back at Martinez's second-half strike. Boateng should have dealt with a long ball forward, but he mistimed his jump to send the striker through and the visitors paid the price.
Referee performance
Carlos Velasco Carballo was right to point to the spot when Manuel Neuer brought down Martinez in the second minute, but the Bayern goalkeeper probably should have been sent off for denying a clear goalscoring opportunity. Luckily for the referee, Porto managed to pick up the deserved win, but Lopetegui will be far from happy with the decision.
What next?
Porto: Lopetegui's side will surely have one eye on next Tuesday's second leg when they host Academica on Saturday.
Bayern: A trip to Hoffenheim on Saturday could see the Bundesliga leaders rest some key men as they aim to keep their treble bid alive.
Callum Mulvihill
