FC Porto enter knockout stage of UEFA Champions League

Monitoring Desk

LONDON, England (TheSportsNEXT) November 7, 2012: Porto lost their 100 per cent record, but they booked their place in the knockout stages of the UEFA Champions League after a goalless Group A draw against Dynamo Kiev in Ukraine, FIFA’s official website reported.

Porto's point takes them to ten points in the section and guarantees their progress after a game of few clear-cut chances which leaves the hosts with little chance of progressing.

Porto's confidence was not too evident in the cagey opening exchanges, with Kiev pressing forward and forcing a free-kick within the first minute which was comfortably cleared by Nicolas Otamendi.

Porto had their first chance in the ninth minute when Yevhen Khacheridi's foul on James Rodriguez led to a Joao Moutinho free-kick which was headed on by Abdoulaye Ba and blocked in the box.

In a first half of few clear-cut chances, Porto almost grabbed the lead in the 35th minute when Maksym Koval tipped a Jackson Martinez header round the post after a pin-point cross by Rodriguez.

Taye Taiwo fired wide for the hosts two minutes later, but Porto were beginning to look more dangerous and Koval was forced into action again in the 38th minute when he saved a volley from Danilo.

Silvestre Varela had the first chance of the second half for Porto with a left-foot shot from the edge of the area in the 50th minute, which flashed wide of Koval's goal.

Porto keeper Helton was then forced into action as he saved a shot from Andriy Yarmolenko, and as the game belatedly sprang into life, Koval caught an effort from Danilo at the other end.

Koval then denied Rodriguez and from the resulting counter-attack Artem Milevskiy hit a shot from 18 yards which was well saved by Helton.

Ognjen Vukojevic fired over from long-range for the hosts, then a free-kick from the dangerous Moutinho flashed wide and moments later a Rodriguez shot in the box was blocked by Taiwo.

Brown Ideye should have done better with a 72nd minute header which sailed over Da Silva's bar, and Porto's Lucho Gonzalez was not far away with a 25-yard drive which tested Koval at the other end.

Read More

UEFA Champions League: Olympiacos resurrect hopes

Monitoring Desk

LONDON, England (TheSportsNEXT) November 7, 2012: Olympiacos put themselves right back in the hunt for a spot in the last 16 of the UEFA Champions League with a second successive victory over Montpellier, FIFA’s official website reported.

After earning a stoppage-time win in France a fortnight ago, Olympiacos again left it late before snatching victory tonight with two goals in the last ten minutes from Leandro Greco and Kostas Mitroglou. Those strikes came after Younes Belhanda's second-half penalty for Montpelier had cancelled out Paulo Machado's early opener for the the Greek side.

Olympiacos had lost their opening two matches in Group B but tonight's result lifts them onto six points, two points behind leaders Schalke and one adrift of second-placed Arsenal. Montpellier, meanwhile, remain on one point and are out of contention for a top-two berth.

Olympiacos had fallen behind in each of their opening three games in Group B but needed just four minutes to take the lead tonight when Machado slotted into an empty net after Mitroglou's close-range effort had rebounded back off the post.

Leonardo Jardim's side almost doubled their lead in the tenth minute but visiting goalkeeper Geoffrey Jourdren did well to deny Mitroglou. That was a big let-off for Montpellier but they soon started to settle and Souleymane Camara had two chances to draw the visitors level, heading the first just over the crossbar before also failing to hit the target with an ambitious effort.

Montpellier could not get back on terms before the break but they came close again in the second half when substitute Jonathan Tinhan, just moments after replacing Anthony Mounier in the 62nd minute, fired in an effort that was saved by the feet of Roy Carroll. He was called into action again seconds later after Joris Marveaux was found unmarked in the area, but fortunately for the Northern Irish veteran the midfielder's header was straight at him.

An equaliser looked on the cards though, and it duly arrived in the 65th minute when the French side won a penalty. Dimitrios Siovas pushed Camara in the area to concede the spot-kick and Belhanda made no mistake from 12 yards.

For a while that looked set to earn Montpellier a point, but Olympiacos had other ideas and claimed the victory following a late flourish. Djamel Abdoun saw a long-range effort turned round the post by Jourdren in the 77th minute, but three minutes later Greco found the back of the net following a corner.

Two minutes after that the game was sealed when Mitroglou slotted in Jose Holebas' cross to make it 3-1.

Read More