Porto vs. Basel 2015: Final score 4-0, Swiss roll over in Porto demolition

Porto put four goals past Basel without reply at the Estádio do Dragão on Tuesday to progress into the Champions League quarterfinals with a 5-1 aggregate win. It was a masterful display from Julen Lopetegui’s side, who might not be as innocuous a quarterfinal draw for the contenders as was first thought.

The hosts were perfectly content to let Basel tap it around deep in defence throughout the first few minutes, and instead looked to play on the counter attack. It took less than a quarter of an hour for their patience to pay off, when Yacine Brahimi curled a perfect free-kick from the edge of the area into the top corner. A couple of minutes later they were almost two ahead, though Casemiro’s audacious effort from distance whistled over the top of the bar.

After taking the lead, Porto looked even better, with Basel struggling to maintain control against the very organised pressing of their hosts. The Swiss side didn’t go at all close to equalising until stoppage time right at the end of the first period, when a clearance fell kindly for winger Shkëlzen Gashi, whose low shot almost squirmed just inside Fabiano’s far post. Fortunately for Porto, it went just wide.

The game still hung in the balance as the players left the field at halftime, though Porto sunk Basel hearts within three minutes of the restart. A fine curling effort from the edge of the area by Héctor Herrera met the fingertips of Basel goalkeeper Tomáš Vaclík, though it wasn’t enough to prevent it finding the bottom corner. The goal meant the visitors had to score twice to avoid being eliminated, putting Porto into a very healthy position indeed.

If Porto’s second was a jab, the knockout blow came with a third goal just short of the hour. It came from another brilliant free-kick, though this time the man arcing it into the top corner wasn’t Brahimi but Real Madrid loanee Casemiro, whose effort combined power and accuracy to leave Vaclík flapping powerlessly at thin air.

The third served to completely take the wind out of Basel’s sails, enabling Porto to add another spectacular goal with a quarter of an hour left on the clock. Vincent Aboubakar nicked the ball from Mohamed Elneny in midfield, and proceeded to charge to the edge of the box before lashing a fierce strike past Vaclík and into the back of the net.

There was still time for things to go from bad to worse for Basel, and sure enough, they did in stoppage time as veteran defender Walter Samuel was sent off for a second bookable offence. The only good news for the Swiss side is that there is no quarterfinal game for him to miss.

Porto: Fabiano; Sandro, Marcano, Maicon, Danilo (Martins Indi 22’); Evandro (Quaresma 79’), Casemiro, Herrera; Brahimi (Neves 74’), Aboubakar, Tello.

Goals: Brahimi (14’), Herrera (47’), Casemiro (56’), Aboubakar (76’).

Basel: Vaclík; Safari, Samuel, Schär (Embolo 57’), Xhaka; Frei (Kakitani 63’), Elneny; Gashi (Callà 77’), Zuffi, González; Streller.

Goals: None.

Red cards: Samuel (90+1’).