As the final whistle was on the verge of sounding, Wenderson Galeno stepped up for Porto. Now, it’s up to Arsenal to muster a comeback if they want to reach the Champions League quarterfinals, a stage they haven’t seen since 2010.
In the dying moments of stoppage time, Galeno found the net, securing a 1-0 victory for Porto in the first leg of the round of 16 on Wednesday. To secure a spot in the quarterfinals of Europe’s premier club competition, the English side will have to emerge victorious in the second leg in London on March 12.
Porto beats Arsenal 1-0 Champions League round of 16 https://t.co/DlJEPjv5cv pic.twitter.com/Su0rf8osFt
— The Globe and Mail (@globeandmail) February 22, 2024
Galeno shattered the stalemate with a right-footed strike that found the distant corner, four minutes into extra time. His shot from beyond the box came in what was expected to be the concluding minute of added time at Estadio do Dragao.
“I think the credit for that goal goes to the whole team, for what they did in the 90 minutes,” Galeno said. “We played well, we defended well, we left all our energy on the pitch. We will try to replicate in London what we achieved here. We will try to stay solid and give our best, as we always do.”
The Brazilian striker, who had a near miss in the first half by hitting the post, was honored as the man of the match.
“When it’s 0-0, you look up at the clock and it’s 93 minutes gone, if you aren’t going to win the game then don’t lose it,” Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice said. “Maybe have the bit of savviness about us to stay in and get a draw in a tough stadium against a tough opponent. They caught us on the counter and he’s stuck one in the top corner which is really disappointing.”
Porto largely dominated the game, preventing Arsenal from making any shots on target. This came as a challenge for the English team, which had been on a winning streak with five back-to-back victories, netting a total of 21 goals.
“A lot to play for in the second leg,” Rice said. “We’re really positive as a group, we’ve had such a good start to 2024 that we’re not going to let this get us down.
“We have to change our approach in the home leg and give it absolutely everything,” he added. “Even though we’re a goal down, it’s a nice goal to aim for when we can change it around in the home leg.”
Last season saw Porto’s journey end in the round of 16. Now, the team from Portugal is striving to make it to the quarterfinals, a feat they haven’t achieved since 2021.
Porto coach Sérgio Conceição said, “It was a good game, a Champions League game,” he added “Our opponents had more of the ball, but Porto were always more dangerous.”
In its first Champions League outing since the 2016-17 season, Arsenal struggled to break past the round of 16, a hurdle it failed to overcome in seven straight attempts from 2011 to 2017. Furthermore, the team has been on a losing streak in its last seven initial matches in the round of 16.
The last time Arsenal progressed past this stage was in 2010, when it triumphed over Porto.
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