Porto overcame Juventus thanks to their intelligence, says coach

TURIN: Porto coach Sergio Conceicao stated his facet used their brains to get previous Juventus in Tuesday’s Champions League last-16 second leg after enjoying with 10 males for greater than an hour within the 3-2 defeat after extra-time, which despatched them via on away targets.

Conceicao was a part of the final Porto facet to win the Champions League in 2004 beneath Jose Mourinho and masterminded their most important win within the competitors since then.

Main 2-1 from the primary leg after which going a aim up on the night time because of Sergio Oliveira’s penalty, they held off a surge of assaults from Juve within the second half and extra-time after Mehdi Taremi was despatched off within the 54th minute.

Federico Chiesa’s double regarded to have given Juve momentum for the additional interval however Porto discovered one other away aim with a free kick from Oliveira and survived the remaining minutes after Adrien Rabiot scored to degree the tie 4-4 on combination.

The feat got here 17 years to the day when Porto knocked out Manchester United and Mourinho introduced himself to the world along with his iconic celebration on the Previous Trafford touchline.

“Sendings off have price us earlier than however we performed with intelligence,” Conceicao informed reporters.

“You realize you will need to undergo once you face Juventus however even with 10 males we created alternatives to attain, which demonstrates our means and aggressive nature.”

Porto have reached the quarter-finals 4 occasions since their 2004 triumph however had not knocked out a staff of the calibre of Juventus, Serie A winners for the final 9 seasons and Champions League runners-up in 2015 and 2017.

The outcome was all of the extra shocking given Porto’s home kind, which has left them third within the Portuguese standings, 10 factors adrift of leaders Sporting after 22 video games.

“It is vitally tough to clarify. We have now had ups and downs within the championship, however the staff confirmed big character,” stated midfielder Jesus Corona.

“The gamers stayed targeted and once you try this it’s a lot simpler. We performed with ardour, fought till the top and confirmed the spirit you count on from Porto.”

The one bitter word was the information they are going to be with out Oliveira for the primary leg of their quarter-final tie after he earned a reserving, including to the suspension of Taremi.

(Reporting by Richard Martin; Enhancing by Christian Radnedge)