1-1 at Basel in the first leg of their UEFA
Champions League last-16 tie.
Danilo's 79th-minute penalty gave Porto a
deserved equaliser as their 1-1 draw at
Basel moved them a step closer to the
UEFA Champions League quarter-finals.
Wednesday's first leg of the round of 16
clash in Switzerland was completely
dominated by the visitors, who fell behind
in the 11th minute to a Derlis Gonzalez
strike.
That would prove be Basel's only
meaningful attack of the game though, as
two-time winners Porto ramped up the
pressure, with Cristian Tello denied a
leveller by the offside flag late in the first
half.
Casemiro was next to have a goal chalked
off, after his flick from a corner was ruled
out for interference on Basel goalkeeper
Tomas Vaclik.
Porto were celebrating for an extended
period following the goal but, following
consultation from his officials, referee
Mark Clattenburg – correctly – ruled that
Vaclik had been impeded by both Jackson
Martinez and Ivan Marcano in his attempt
to save the effort.
Julen Lopetegui's men finally got back on
level terms with 11 minutes to play,
however, after Walter Samuel was
penalised for a handball from Danilo's
cross.
Samuel's intervention was not deliberate
but it was a clear penalty, with Danilo
dispatching the spot-kick into the
bottom-left corner to give his side an all-
important away goal.
Porto will now be favourites to progress
to the last eight when they host the
second leg on March 10.
Porto, who had won just one of their last
13 away matches in the competition's
knockout stages, made the brighter start,
but it was Basel who would take the lead
with their first chance of the game.
Fabian Frei's ball in and behind the Porto
defence sent Gonzalez free and his
excellent first touch set up a chance on
goal.
Defenders Alex Sandro and Maicon were
closing in but Gonzalez did just enough to
prod the ball past onrushing goalkeeper
Fabiano and into the bottom-left corner
before the pair collided.
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