porto through as frustrated fenerbahçe fall published: wednesday 26 november 2008, 0.25cet
fenerbahçe sk 1-2 fc porto
two lisandro goals in nine first-half minutes took porto through and ended the hopes of fenerbahçe despite a lively display from the turkish side.
by türker tozar from sükrü saraçoglu stadium
two goals in nine first-half minutes from lisandro proved enough to take fc porto through to the uefa champions league knockout phase and end fenerbahçe sk's hopes despite a lively display from the turkish side.
porto progress although the former european champions were under pressure early on, lisandro showed his nose for goal from close range on 19 and 28 minutes and, though substitute kazım kazım pulled one back for fenerbahçe 18 minutes after the break, his side could not score again. fc dynamo kyiv's loss to arsenal fc in the night's other group g game confirmed porto's advance with a game to spare and means that a fenerbahçe victory in ukraine on matchday 6 would take luis aragonés's side into the uefa cup, for which the final will be here at the sükrü saraçoglu stadium.
early chance boosted by the return of roberto carlos from a toe inflammation and emre belözoğlu's selection to partner josico in midfield in place of the suspended selçuk şahin, fenerbahçe began in determined fashion, seeking the victory they needed to have any chance of matching last season's quarter-final run. within four minutes alex found himself free in front of goal, but blasted over.
lisandro opener in the absence of suspended lucho, porto coach jesualdo ferreira chose to challenge a home defence deprived of the banned lugano with a three-man strikeforce of cristián rodríguez, hulk and lisandro. fenerbahçe were dominant but they were not exploiting their chances and were looking vulnerable to the counterattack even before the first goal. a porto corner was cleared and fernando sent the ball back in for bruno alves to brilliantly control to the right of goal. he lofted in a cross which volkan demirel could only palm away and lisandro was in place to hook the ball in through a crowded goalmouth.
lead doubled edu soon headed wide but porto doubled their lead when lisandro controlled a long throw in the box; although volkan blocked his first effort, the forward made no mistake from the rebound. fenerbahçe were shell-shocked and it could have been three when tomás costa controlled a long pass and with the outside of his boot chipped volkan only to see the ball bounce away off the post.
arrears reduced aiming to add a cutting edge to their dominance in possession, aragonés brought on winger kazım kazım for emre. the london-born turkish international has been frustrated by the loss of a regular starting place since deivid's injury comeback and began to menace porto down the right with swift runs and clever crosses. not long past the hour kazım kazım pulled one back as he advanced from deep and his shot from distance hit bruno alves and looped in over goalkeeper helton.
visitors hold on that seemed to rouse porto and they began to make life tougher for the home side, though fenerbahçe continued to have most of the play. substitute freddy guarín's rising shot nearly made it 3-1 but porto kept things tight at the other end and they can look forward to the 19 december first knockout round draw. nine days before that a home win against arsenal would give them first place.
