Galeno scores late winner as Porto stun Arsenal

Galeno scores late winner as Porto stun Arsenal
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

GalenoGaleno

with an average of 7.61

FC Porto

  1. Squad number13Player nameGaleno

  2. Squad number22Player nameVarela

  3. Squad number10Player nameFrancisco Conceição

  4. Squad number18Player nameWendell

  5. Squad number16Player nameGonzález

  6. Squad number29Player nameAntonio Martínez

  7. Squad number30Player nameEvanilson

  8. Squad number17Player nameJaime

  9. Squad number11Player namePepê Aquino

  10. Squad number3Player namePepe

  11. Squad number99Player nameDiogo Costa

  12. Squad number23Player nameJoão Mário

  13. Squad number31Player nameOtávio

  14. Squad number70Player nameGonçalo Borges

  15. Squad number6Player nameEustáquio

  1. Squad number41Player nameRice

  2. Squad number8Player nameØdegaard

  3. Squad number6Player nameGabriel Magalhães

  4. Squad number7Player nameSaka

  5. Squad number2Player nameSaliba

  6. Squad number4Player nameWhite

  7. Squad number15Player nameKiwior

  8. Squad number11Player nameGabriel Martinelli

  9. Squad number29Player nameHavertz

  10. Squad number19Player nameTrossard

  11. Squad number22Player nameRaya

  12. Squad number20Player nameJorginho

Line-ups

FC Porto

Formation 4-2-3-1

  • 99Diogo Costa
  • 23Neto Lopes
  • 3Pepe
  • 31Ataíde da Silva
  • 18WendellSubstituted forEustáquioat 90′minutes
  • 22Varela
  • 16GonzálezBooked at 62minsSubstituted forJaimeat 81′minutes
  • 10Fernandes da ConceiçãoBooked at 52minsSubstituted forAlbuquerque Borgesat 85′minutes
  • 11Aquino Cossa
  • 13Rodrigues do Nascimento Galeno
  • 30de Lima BarbosaSubstituted forMartínezat 85′minutes

Substitutes

  • 2Cardoso
  • 6Eustáquio
  • 8Grujic
  • 14Morais Ramos
  • 15Sánchez
  • 17Jaime
  • 19Namaso
  • 20Russo Franco
  • 28Silva Baró
  • 29Martínez
  • 70Albuquerque Borges
  • 97da Silva Figueiredo Freitas

Arsenal

Formation 4-3-3

  • 22Raya
  • 4White
  • 2Saliba
  • 6Gabriel
  • 15KiwiorBooked at 57mins
  • 8Ødegaard
  • 41RiceBooked at 2mins
  • 29HavertzBooked at 60mins
  • 7Saka
  • 19TrossardSubstituted forJorginhoat 74′minutes
  • 11Martinelli

Substitutes

  • 1Ramsdale
  • 10Smith Rowe
  • 14Nketiah
  • 17Cédric Soares
  • 20Jorginho
  • 21Fábio Vieira
  • 24Nelson
  • 25Elneny
  • 31Hein
  • 63Nwaneri
  • 73Sweet
  • 79Heaven

Referee:
Serdar Gözübüyük

Attendance:
49,111

Match Stats

Live Text

  1. Match ends, FC Porto 1, Arsenal 0.

  2. Second Half ends, FC Porto 1, Arsenal 0.

  3. Attempt missed. Martin Ødegaard (Arsenal) left footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the right.

  4. Goal! FC Porto 1, Arsenal 0. Galeno (FC Porto) right footed shot from outside the box to the bottom right corner. Assisted by Otávio.

  5. 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.

  6. Bukayo Saka (Arsenal) wins a free kick on the right wing.

  7. Foul by Galeno (FC Porto).

  8. Substitution, FC Porto. Stephen Eustáquio replaces Wendell because of an injury.

  9. Foul by Ben White (Arsenal).

  10. Iván Jaime (FC Porto) wins a free kick in the attacking half.

  11. Foul by Jakub Kiwior (Arsenal).

  12. Wendell (FC Porto) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

  13. Corner, Arsenal. Conceded by Otávio.

  14. Substitution, FC Porto. Gonçalo Borges replaces Francisco Conceição.

  15. Substitution, FC Porto. Toni Martínez replaces Evanilson.

  16. Substitution, FC Porto. Iván Jaime replaces Nico González.

  17. Foul by Jakub Kiwior (Arsenal).

  18. Wendell (FC Porto) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

  19. Corner, Arsenal. Conceded by Otávio.

  20. Substitution, Arsenal. Jorginho replaces Leandro Trossard.

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