Porto secured their place in the Champions League last 16 with a 5-3 win over Shakhtar Donetsk.
2023/2024 UEFA Champions League
5-3
Porto and Shaktah were fighting for the second qualifying spot alongside Barcelona and the Portuguese side took the advantage when Wenderson Galeno finished a scrappy move.
After shaking off the disappointing early goal, Shakhtar had the ball in the net when Danylo Sikan - flagged offside - tapped home in front of a motionless Porto defence. However, after a VAR check, Sikan was ruled onside and the goal was controversially given and the scores were level.
The home side were back in control just before the players headed to the changing rooms for the break, when Galeno fired in his second of the game with a fiercely hit shot from the edge of the box.
Porto put one foot in the knockouts when Mehdi Taremi added a third for Sergio Conceicao’s side, giving Shaktah - who needed a win - a mountain to climb if they were to join Barcelona in the last 16.
Shaktah threatened a miraculous comeback when Stephen Eustaquio scored an own goal, but 40-year-old Pepe restored Porto’s two-goal advantage with a scrappy touch from a corner.
Porto boss Sergio Conceicao’s son, Chico Conceicao, made sure of the result with a fifth in the closing stages.
Line-ups
Porto XI: Pepe, M. Taremi, Fábio Cardoso, Diogo Costa, Galeno, Stephen Eustaquio, Jorge Sánchez, Zaidu, Pepê, Evanilson, Alan Varela
Subs: Cláudio Ramos, Wendell, Grujic, Fran Navarro, Danny Namaso, David Carmo, Iván Jaime, João Mário, Gonçalo Borges, Francisco Conceição, André Franco, Bernardo Folha
Shakhtar XI: Taras Stepanenko, Yaroslav Rakitskyi, Mykola Matvienko, Oleksandr Zubkov, Danylo Sikan, Valeriy Bondar, Artem Bondarenko, Dmytro Kryskiv, G. Sudakov, Dmytro Riznyk, Giorgi Gocholeishvili
Subs: Artur Rudko, Maryan Shved, Yegor Nazaryna, Irakli Azarovi, Eduard Kozik, Stav Lemkin, Pedrinho, Kevin Kelsy, Novatus Miroshi, Eguinaldo, Denil Castillo, Newerton