Wednesday saw Turkish giants Galatasaray travel to Portugal to face two-time European champions FC Porto. In a battle of first v second in Group D, the game was played in an intense atmosphere at the Estádio do Dragão. A win for Fatih Terim’s Galatasaray would see them remain top of the group. Porto entered as favourites, with the likes of Iker Casillas and Yacine Brahimi on display.
Porto Beat Galatasaray to go Top of Group D
In what was a competitive first half, both teams created their fair share of opportunities, the best of which fell to star man Brahimi, with the Algerian forcing a good save from Fernando Muslera. Scoreless at the break, the game was very much up for grabs with both teams went close in the opening 45 minutes. Porto started the second half the much better team, as Malian striker Moussa Marega gave Sérgio Conceição’s team a well-deserved lead. As the game went on, Galatasaray began to struggle and Porto controlled the game. Possession was key, with Conceição’s side enjoying almost 60% of the possession for most of the second half. Galatasaray rarely threatened, tallying just three shots on target. Porto went on to secure a 1-0 win. Galatasaray has now gone 14 games without an away win in European competition.
Key Players
Scoring on the night, Marega played his role well. Filling in for injured striker Vincent Aboubakar, Marega not only scored but he proved Porto can rely on him going forward. With Aboubakar set to miss around six months with an ACL injury, Marega stepped up when he needed to. Despite only one keeper keeping a clean sheet, both men between the sticks deserve praise for their performances. Muslera played well, captaining his side, falling victim to some shocking defending. Making his 169th Champions League appearance, Casillas was confident throughout, keeping a clean sheet on the night.
Galatasaray’s performance was below average, with Porto the more clinical team on the night. With both goalkeepers in good form, Marega’s open header was the difference at the Dragão.
Group Outlook
In the groups other game, Schalke travelled to Russia to face Lokomotiv Moscow. Picking up a crucial, hard-fought 1-0 win, Schalke took home all three points. The win takes the German side joint top of Group D, alongside Porto. Standing on four points each, matchday three sees Schalke travel to Istanbul to face third-place Galatasaray, whereas Porto faces a tough away trip to Moscow, where they will play last-place Lokomotiv. Heading into matchday three, Group D appears to be as competitive as advertised, with three well-placed teams fighting for two places.
Main Photo
