Basel vs. Porto, Champions League 2015: 1-1 stalemate in first leg

Basel hung on to a one goal lead for over an hour of their Champions League round of 16 first leg at home to Porto on Wednesday, though a late equaliser from Danilo ensured the game ended all square -- and that Porto head into the second leg with an away goal advantage.

Porto started the game on the front foot, with their high-pressing game forcing Basel into a string of errors when playing out from the back. However, it was the hosts who drew first blood in just the 11th minute, when an inch-perfect long-ball from midfielder Fabian Frei set Derlis González through to poke home against the run of play. It was to be the Paraguayan’s first and last notable contribution of the match -- he went off injured minutes later -- but it was an extremely valuable one.

Basel’s tie with Porto (2:45 p.m. ET, FOX Deportes) may not be as eye-catching as some of the other Champions League round of 16 fixtures, though that doesn’t mean that it isn’t intriguing in its unpredictability. What’s more, both of these sides are young and talented, and though they’re not going to win the thing, their excellent performances in the first round will give them both confidence of making a deep run in this tournament.

While Basel managed to sneak through a group containing both Liverpool and Real Madrid, Porto didn’t lose a single game on their way to the knockout stages. The Portuguese side certainly boast more star names and head into this tie as favorites, though Basel’s slick passing game impressed in the first round, and could prove difficult to stop.