Porto stunned runaway Bundesliga winners Bayern with a 3-1 win giving the Northern Portuguese side real hope for the return leg in Porto.
Report by Madi Williamson
FC Porto 3-1 Bayern Munich
If any side did their homework before their semi-final fixture it was FC Porto. Bayern Munich have recently proved that they have an Achilles heel after a few seasons of flat-out dominance. They suffered their first home loss of the season at the hands of Borussia Monchengladbach in the Bundesliga two weeks ago, FC Porto certainly took note.
Right out of the gate, Porto knew that they couldn’t let Bayern settle in to a comfortable rhythm or it would all be over. The home side pushed forward at the sound of the whistle and was rewarded for their efforts with a penalty kick in the first ninety seconds! Porto’s feisty and fearless leader Jackson Martinez lead the charge and was caught by Neuer after he overtook Xabi Alonso, the last man back for Bayern. Ricardo Quaresma stepped up to take the kick and fearlessly fired it into the net, a frazzled Neuer diving the wrong way. Bayern Munich struggled to compose themselves.
Not used to being on the defensive or being a goal down with just two minutes gone, they struggled to connect their passes and all seemed to be on a different page. Porto’s back line was picture perfect, keeping Lewandowski and Muller, a duo that makes mincemeat of most defenders, at bay. Porto remained the dominant side and once again Bayern were caught on a rapid attack by the home side and Dante had his pocket picked by Ricardo Quaresma. The Portuguese winger made no mistake once again and kept his composure to send a great shot past Neuer. The relaxed and dominant style that Bayern boasts had come back to haunt them.
The only player on the visiting side who didn’t seem rattled by the early two-goal deficit was Thiago Alcantara, the Spanish midfielder whose career thus far at Bayern has been riddled with injuries. He made his first Champions League start in over a year and played his heart out while the rest of his team struggled to compose themselves. Thiago found himself in the right place at the right time with twenty minutes gone and, on a stretch, tapped a low pass into the back of the net. In spite of their admirable organization, the ball bounced through the legs of three Porto defenders and a Bayern attacker before the midfielder was there to redirect it into the goal.
Porto did not crumble again nor did they allow Bayern to gain any forward momentum from the goal. They continued to break them down high up the pitch with a disciplined defensive midfield formation and continued to work the ball up to their relentless attackers. Neuer continued to look shell-shocked throughout the game and nearly let one in right before the halftime break when he came out to collect a lofty ball but completely misjudged. Boateng was there to clean up his mess, but Bayern Munich did not look like a team that top their domestic table by ten points.
The second half was much of the same story as the first. Porto stuck to their tactical plan and stayed organized and calm all over the pitch. None of Bayern’s efforts in the attack were with speed or confidence. They played too cautiously to break past a back line as strong as Porto’s was on the night and still struggled to communicate and connect passes with each other. Porto proved to be the opportunists one last time when Jackson Martinez easily scooped up a missed header from Boateng and kept his cool to dribble right around Neuer and slot the ball into the net. Porto were flying high and Bayern’s defense was in ruins. All three goals for the Portuguese side were a direct result of defensive mishaps. With their one dignity goal from Thiago, Bayern Munich head back to Germany with a daunting task facing them next week. If any side can overcome such a large deficit, it is Pep Guardiola’s Bayern Munich. Porto can’t get too carried away with their advantage, since only two sides have managed to score at the Allianz Arena since the start of this season.
