FC Porto are heading home with a lead in their UEFA Champions League playoff tie, and they’ll be heavy favorites to advance. They recorded a 1-0 win away to Lille on Wednesday, and they were on top throughout the match.
Lille vs. FC Porto: Final score 0-1, LOSC in trouble
Lille are probably out of Champions League after losing at home to FC Porto.
It took quite a while for Porto to break through, however. They were absolutely dominant in possession throughout the first half and spent most of the period camped in Lille’s end with the ball, but they struggled to turn that into shooting opportunities. Lille seemed content to play for a clean sheet and look for opportunities on the counter and they had the lineup to do it -- they started three defensive-minded midfielders, plus attacking right back Sebastian Corchia at right wing.
Corchia actually had the best chance of the first half for either team, but failed to capitalize. He found himself with the ball at his feet right in front of the goal in the 44th minute, but had his first shot attempt blocked and rocketed his second well over the bar when he should have scored.
Porto started the match with a fairly narrow setup featuring usual central attacking midfielder Yacine Brahimi on the wing, and the game changed instantly when they brought Brahimi off for a true winger, Christian Tello. Just a minute after being introduced into the game, Tello set up the winner with a cross to Jackson Martinez. While the Colombian striker’s header was well saved by Vincent Enyeama, Hector Herrera was perfectly positioned to score on the rebound.
Lille made an attacking substitution in response, bringing in creative midfielder Marcos Lopes for Florent Balmont, but they were less bold with their other changes, opting to go like-for-like with subs along the forward line. They pushed forward more aggressively in the final half-hour than they did in the first hour, but never found a goal.
Lille: Enyeama, Souare, Basa, Kjaer, Beria, Mavuba, Balmont (Lopes 62’), Gueye, Kalou (Roux 76’), Origi (Mendes 71’), Corchia
Goals: None
Porto: Fabiano, Alex Sandro, Martins Indi, Maicon, Danilo, Ruben Neves (Evandro 74’), Casemiro, Brahimi (Tello 60’), Herrera, Oliver, Martinez
Goals: Herrera (61’)
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