Porto vs Arsenal LIVE: Champions League result and reaction as Galeno wins it with late goal
Porto 1-0 Arsenal: The Gunners suffer defeat after a superb late strike from Galeno
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Arsenal suffered a heartbreaking stoppage time goal to see them lose 1-0 to Porto in a dull affair in Portugal meaning they need to come from behind at the Emirates in the second leg to make it through to the quarter-finals.
Porto have a strong record at home against Arsenal and from the off looked determined to break up the Gunners’ flow and rhythm. It was a stop-start match throughout with Porto creating the better chances as Galeno hit the post and volleyed wide of goal in the same first half attack.
With 10 minutes or so to go Arsenal looked to shut up shop and cling onto the draw - which would have been an okay result - but some sloppy play in stoppage time saw them lose possession and allowed Galeno to drive forward before whipping a wonderful finish past David Raya to earn the hosts a win.
Relive the action from the Champions League tonight plus get the latest odds and tips right here:
Second half! Porto 0-0 Arsenal
Arsenal get the ball rolling again for the second half.
The TNT Sports pundits, Rio Ferdinand and Martin Keown, both agree that the Gunners can leave this match with a draw but don’t want to concede in the next 45 minutes.
Mikel Arteta will want to win this one though.
HT Porto 0-0 Arsenal
Porto have two players called Pepe in their side tonight.
One is a 40-year-old veteran Portugal defender who won this trophy three times with Real Madrid. The other Pepe is a 26-year-old Brazilian winger.
HT Porto 0-0 Arsenal
With Francisco Conceicao (21) and Otavio (21) both starting tonight, FC Porto have named two players aged 21 or under in the starting XI for a Champions League knockout stage game for the first time since March 2018 v Liverpool (Diogo Dalot and Bruno Costa).
HT Porto 0-0 Arsenal
It’s been a struggle for Arsenal so far though they have controlled possession effectively. Mikel Arteta will need to inspire the players at the break.
Porto have been frustratingly solid.
Half-time! Porto 0-0 Arsenal
45+1 mins: The whistle goes to end the first half in Portugal. Arsenal dominated the ball, Porto had the best chance and hit the post.
Those are the highlights. Let’s hope the second half is more exciting.
Porto 0-0 Arsenal
45 mins: Just the one minute added on at the end of the first half. Arsenal have another corner, can they create something from this set piece?
Yes! Saka picks out Havertz over by the far post but his header is nodded into the deck where it bounces wide.
Porto 0-0 Arsenal
41 mins: Porto are turning up the heat as half-time approches. Pepe, the 26-year-old winger, takes the ball into the penalty area and backheels it to Evanilson.
He shoots and drills a low effort through Declan Rice’s legs but David Raya is on hand to smother the effort.
Porto 0-0 Arsenal
38 mins: Nico Gonzalez hits a clean strike from a long way out and David Raya is interested for few a moment before the ball rises up and over the crossbar.
Decent attempt but not troubling for the Arsenal goalkeeper.
Porto 0-0 Arsenal
35 mins: Close!
Arsenal whip the ball into the box from a corner once more and this time William Saliba gets on the end of it. He doesn’t catch his header quite right and the ball is sent wide of the nearest post.
Arsenal’s best chance so far and Saliba should arguably have done better to find the target.
Porto 0-0 Arsenal
32 mins: Arsenal have already had 70% possession but I can’t recall a single opportunity to challenge Diogo Costa. The Gunners aren’t finding it easy at all to play through Porto.
Mikel Arteta needs to come up with a solution as Leandro Trossard drills a long range effort into the stands.
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