Basel 1-1 FC Porto – as it happened!
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http://www.theguardian.com/football/live/2015/feb/18/basel-v-fc-porto-champions-league-live Version 0 of 1. 9.40pm GMT21:40 Two goals, nine yellow cards, both sides content that they are very much in with an even enough shout of progressing. You would fancy Porto on the evidence available here, though – they dominated in possession only to find Basel’s defensive wall very difficult to break down. Man of the match: Mark Clattenburg. That’s all for me. Thanks for reading. Bye! 9.39pm GMT21:39 FULL-TIME! Basel 1-1 Porto. 90+4 min: The whistle goes and it’s finished 1-1. 9.38pm GMT21:38 90+3 min: Or maybe not! Suchy has conceded a corner … last chance Porto. Qunitero delivers but there’s too much weight on the delivery and Basel clear. 9.37pm GMT21:37 90+2 min: Martínez is felled by Elneny near halfway. Instead of putting it forward, they play it backwards. Should just blow it up now. 9.36pm GMT21:36 90 min: Basel stroking it about with little intensity as the fourth official’s board flashes up four minutes added time. Urgency, who needs it? 9.34pm GMT21:34 88 min: Game is dying out. Porto seem satisified now they have acquired an away goal, Basel appear physically exhausted. 9.32pm GMT21:32 86 min: Danilo takes down Hamoudi with a tug on his shorts and accepts the yellow card – the ninth shown by Mark Clattenburg. 9.30pm GMT21:30 84 min: Basel start to show some signs of attacking intent again from the first time since the 11th minute but Frei is robbed of the ball by Martinez. He sends it to Quaresma, whose cross is deflected for a corner. Again, it amounts to nothing. 9.28pm GMT21:28 83 min: Gashi’s evening is over. Basel’s leading scorer has disappointed. Hamoudi is given a chance to shine. 9.26pm GMT21:26 80 min: Must say, for all of Basel’s resolute defending, Porto deserve that. They have been the better side for the majority of this game. Now, can they find a winner in the final 10 minutes? It won’t be coming from Tello, who is hauled off for Quintero. 9.24pm GMT21:24 GOAL! Basel 1-1 Porto (Danilo, 79pen) The full-back stares Vaclik out and sends a sweet penalty into the bottom left corner. Vaclik dived the right way but could not reach the strike. Updated at 9.44pm GMT 9.23pm GMT21:23 77 min: PENALTY! Samuel slides to try and block a Danilo cross from the right. He handles it but there isn’t much he could have down about it, because he’d already hit the deck. No second booking for him … Danilo steps up to take … Updated at 9.24pm GMT 9.20pm GMT21:20 Meanwhile on Irish TV … @dangerhere Go home Setanta you're drunk pic.twitter.com/RTOa2cSAgb 9.19pm GMT21:19 74 min: Xhaka has been good for Basel tonight but he is felled by Sandro on a rare jaunt forward for the hosts. Porto attack but Herrera’s attempt from 25 yards, following a Tello pass, curls tamely into Vaclik’s hands. 9.17pm GMT21:17 72 min: Tello plays a crossfield pass to Quaresma, who cross in from the right. It’s teed up for Herrera but he fails to land a shot. 9.15pm GMT21:15 70 min: Porto growing more and more dominant here, but Basel’s defence remains as resilient as ever. It’s like a game of backs v forwards at present. 9.13pm GMT21:13 67 min: Quaresma blasts over when he should have crossed from the right side of the box. Poor. Ruben Neves is on in place of Torres, who may have dislocated his shoulder. Updated at 9.14pm GMT 9.12pm GMT21:12 66 min: Torres has just walked off the pitch, asking to be substituted while pointing to his shoulder. Porto momentarily down to 10 men while waiting for a sub to be readied. 9.11pm GMT21:11 65 min: Oooooh, Martínez goes close with a lofted attempt from eight yards which lands on the roof of the net. 9.10pm GMT21:10 While the 22 on here appear more interested in fouling each other instead of playing football, an email from John Mann: After the Bayern v Shakhtar game, do you think Shakhtar could knock Bayern out of the tournament? No – Shakhtar have had fewer attempts than Basel’s one here so far and do not travel well (swerving any references to last night’s game being in Lviv!). Bayern will coast through the second leg, you would reckon. 9.08pm GMT21:08 63 min: Second change for Basel as the lightning quick Embolo replaces Streller. 9.07pm GMT21:07 62 min: Now Suchy is booked for coming in two-footed on Martinez. Suchy will miss the second leg at Porto because of that yellow. 9.07pm GMT21:07 61 min: Substitution for Porto as Brahimi is hooked in place of Quaresma. Find that peculiar because Tello had looked less threatening than Brahimi, who is not injured. 9.06pm GMT21:06 61 min: Xhaka crosses from the right but Fabiano saves. 9.04pm GMT21:04 59 min: Torres curls a long ball into the path of Tello. He tales one touch before shooting with his right. Vaclik saves. Corner. Tello takes. Comes to nothing. 9.02pm GMT21:02 57 min: Gashi trips Danilo and is the seventh player to go into Mark Clattenburg’s book. 9.01pm GMT21:01 55 min: Gashi sends a cross in from the left in a rare Basel attack but Fabiano is out to pick it from the air. 8.59pm GMT20:59 54 min: Tello looks to be through after a tidy delivery from Herrera but he is offiside again. 8.58pm GMT20:58 52 min: Anyway, since then Sandro is booked for a late tackle on Xhaka. 8.58pm GMT20:58 It took a little while for that decision to be made but it’s good refereeing from Clattenburg and his assistant, Friend. Vaclik looked to attempt to come off his line to try and save but he was impeded. 8.56pm GMT20:56 GOAL RULED OUT! It remains Basel 1-0 Porto No! Scrap that. The goal has been ruled out! Kevin Friend, the official behind the goal, has alerted something to Clattenburg. They discuss it for a little while and finally we are shown replays which clearly show two offisde players in the way of Vaclik. They blocked his vision and it’s ruled out after a few moments of confusion. What drama. Updated at 8.57pm GMT 8.55pm GMT20:55 Awful, shocking, dreadful defending from Basel. Tello fizzes a corner, which he had won himself, in. Maicon rises to head towards goal. Vaclik parries and Casemiro converts the rebound. Updated at 9.18pm GMT 8.53pm GMT20:53 GOAL! Basel 1-1 Porto (Casemiro, 48) And the visitors have levelled! 8.52pm GMT20:52 47 min: Now Suchy makes an abysmal challenge on Brahimi, planting his studs on the wide man’s achilles. 8.51pm GMT20:51 46 min: Samuel is booked 25 seconds in for a late tackle from behind on Martinez. Needless. 8.50pm GMT20:50 Peep! Porto get us going again. 8.36pm GMT20:36 Half-time: Basel 1-0 Porto Basel have had one chance and converted. Porto need to do more in attack. 8.35pm GMT20:35 45+4 min: We’re into an added on minute of added time as Martínez and Streller are called together by Clattenburg for a talking to after a succession of niggly fouls results in a little kerfuffle. 8.32pm GMT20:32 45+1 min: Suchy tries to dribble out from defence, is dispossessed by Casemiro and the Basel defender then fouls him 30 yards from goal. Casemiro takes it himself but it hits the wall. 8.30pm GMT20:30 45 min: There will be three minutes added on. 8.30pm GMT20:30 45 min: Brahimi wins a corner. Tello’s delivery is headed clear by Suchy. 8.28pm GMT20:28 43 min: Torres feeds Brahimi but his outside of the boot effort is tame and Vaclik collects. 8.27pm GMT20:27 42 min: Porto continuing to dominate possession since falling behind but they remain bereft of ideas in front of goal. 8.25pm GMT20:25 40 min: Frei plays another tasty pass forward from midfield, this time in the direction of Streller. The striker controls but then notices the flag is up for offside. 8.24pm GMT20:24 39 min: Torres, with his back to goal, passes to Martínez and turns before running goalwards. Martínez attempts to dink a return pass but Torres runs into trouble (or Samuel, if you want). 8.22pm GMT20:22 37 min: Elneny is booked for dragging down Torres rugby style near halfway and is booked. Torres gets up and waves the imaginary card, so Clattenburg flashes it at him too. Well done, ref. 8.22pm GMT20:22 35 min: Tello runs in off the right and latches on to Herrera’s pass but just as Tello is about to pull the trigger, the linesman’s flag is up for offside. Passing stats: Basel have played 55, Porto 174 – but who’s leading?! 8.17pm GMT20:17 31 min: Martínez’s captain armband was ripped by Samuel such was the ferocity of the defender’s dragging but no penalty was given. 8.17pm GMT20:17 30 min: Signs of mprovement from Porto. Herrera picks out Tello whose cross is cut out for a corner. Tello takes and Martínez attempts an audacious flick near the penalty spot but he cannot connect properly. Seconds later Martínez is wrestled to the ground by Samuel – the striker screams for a penalty but Mark Clattenburg ignores him. Very dodgy call. 8.14pm GMT20:14 28 min: Casemiro is booked for a lunge on Zuffi 40 yards from the Porto goal. The delivery is taken by Zuffi, he aims it towards the far post but it amounts to zilch. 8.13pm GMT20:13 26 min: This is developing into an odd game. Basel took their goal brilliantly but have not threatened since and are happy to leave the visitors have the ball. Porto look to be targeting Brahimi on the left wing and he has sped past Xhaka twice, Martínez remains anonymous, however, and Porto need to do much, much more. 8.09pm GMT20:09 24 min: Davide Calla is on in place of Gonzalez. Pretty much a straight swap with the former lining up on the right of Streller in Basel’s attacking three. 8.07pm GMT20:07 22 min: Gonzalez is down again. He looks dazed after that collision and the phsyio has signalled for him to be replaced. He’s holding his ear, but he certainly appears concussed. Frei, meanwhile, is booked for taking down Brahimi. Updated at 8.10pm GMT 8.06pm GMT20:06 21 min: Streller gets in behind Porto’s defence but is lacking support after a long ball from midfield. He holds it up and attempts to square to Gashi but the pass is cut out. 8.05pm GMT20:05 20 min: Danilo cuts in on his left and has a pop and Vaclik gets down to turn it around a post for a corner. Casemiro is the target again, unmarked at the front post, but he heads wide. 8.04pm GMT20:04 18 min: Torres attempts to pick out Brahimi on the left but he is fouled. Tello’s delivery from deep picks out Casemiro a chance to head towards goal but his effort is weak and is bread and butter for Vaclik. 8.01pm GMT20:01 17 min: Porto exchanging passes in their own half but Basel will be happy to leave them at it. 7.59pm GMT19:59 14 min: Gonzalez is back on. The game really needed that; it had been quite nervy. Now, how can Porto’s front three respond? Martínez hasn’t been given a sniff so far. Updated at 9.05pm GMT 7.58pm GMT19:58 12 min: Gonzalez now being treated for a minor head injury. He appeared to connect with Fabiano after shooting. But he should be ok. 7.58pm GMT19:58 Gonzalez’s run is not tracked closely enough by Alex Sandro and he controls Frei’s delicious delivery with his right boot to shake off the defender’s challenge. Fabiano comes off his line in an attempt to close the angle but Gonzalez pokes it past him and into the bottom left corner. That’s the 20-year-old’s third of the season in the Champions League. Updated at 8.10pm GMT 7.56pm GMT19:56 GOAL! Basel 1-0 Porto (Gonzalez, 11) And just as we say that, Basel take the lead. 7.55pm GMT19:55 10 min: Another foul. Zuffi is halted by Casemiro. Both sides struggling to make any inroads so far. 7.54pm GMT19:54 9 min: Brahimi, the liveliest on show in a tepid start, accelerates down the left. He is tugged a little by Xhaka, which Mark Clattenburg fails to spot, and the ball trickles out for a Basel goal-kick. Updated at 8.18pm GMT 7.53pm GMT19:53 7 min: Porto play it around in midfield before Brahimi sets Sandro off, but he is felled by Gonzalez near halfway. Samuel will be 37 next month, by the way, for those of you wondering. 7.51pm GMT19:51 5 min: Walter Samuel, starting due to the suspension incurred by Fabian Schar, comes in and clatters Herrera near halfway. Just to let the Porto player know he’s there, like. 7.50pm GMT19:50 3 min: Porto have promised to attack from the off here and, lining up with a 4-3-3, spearheaded by Jackson Martínez, they look to stick to that. Basel appear to be going with three across midfield too but it’s been a cagey start. Yes, this is all well and good, but how does Clattenburg’s hair look? asks Matt Dony via email Ah, the key issues. It looks like there isn’t a single hair hour of place. Will keep you updated. 7.45pm GMT19:45 Peep! 1 min: Basel get us going, playing in all white from right to left as we watch. Porto in a fetching looking fifty shades of blue kit. 7.42pm GMT19:42 The teams are out. The Champions League anthem is playing at St Jakob Park. We are moments away. Updated at 7.45pm GMT 7.07pm GMT19:07 Teams! Basel: Vaclik, Xhaka, Suchy, Samuel, Safari, Gonzalez, El-Nenny, Frei, Zuffi, Gashi, Streller. Subs: Vailati, Degen, Arlind Ajeti, Delgado, Hamoudi, Embolo, Calla. Porto: Fabiano, Danilo, Maicon, Marcano, Alex Sandro, Herrera, Casemiro, Torres, Tello, Martinez, Brahimi. Subs: Helton, Martins Indi, Quaresma, Quintero, Evandro, Ruben Neves, Aboubakar. Referee: Mark Clattenburg (England) 6.45pm GMT18:45 For the passing observer, this may be the least exciting tie in the Champions League last 16 but, pull yourselves in a little closer and whisper it quietly, it also has the potential to be the most exciting. Basel are bizarrely considered surprise packets despite claiming the scalp of Liverpool this season, doing the double over Chelsea in the group stages last campaign and, further back, have wins at home to both Manchester United and Bayern Munich in their locker. Underestimate them at your peril. They have a steady conveyor belt of young talent progressing from their underage setup to the senior ranks (Ivan Rakitic and Xherdan Shaqiri are recent products), play good football and are formidable at home. The loss of Fabian Schär through suspension is a blow to the defence but Fabian Frei adds steel in midfield and the 20-year-old Derlis González is well worth watching. Only Chelsea scored more in the group stages than Porto’s 16 and Julen Lopetegui’s team are unbeaten in their past eight Champions League games. They have lost just one in 14. And although Porto haven’t made it into the quarter-finals since 2008/09, they are unbeaten against Swiss opposition since October 1980, when Grasshoppers triumphed 3-0. Jackson Martínez (five goals from four games in the group stages) and Yacine Brahimi (four from five) are their stars of the show in attack, while Casemiro has stood out in midfield. These two have never met. Until now! Kick-off is 20.45 local time or 19.45GMT. Team news to follow. |