Basel vs. Porto: Winners and Losers from Champions League Game
A late Danilo penalty gave FC Porto a precious away goal and a 1-1 draw against Basel on a chilly evening in Switzerland on Wednesday in Champions League play.
Derlis Gonzalez had opened the scoring in style, latching on to a through ball and slotting home under pressure. But he had to be substituted early due to an injury sustained in the challenge. The Dragons pushed and probed, dominating the game, and eventually the home defence yielded.
"Martínez, @FCPorto: "It was a difficult game. This result puts us in a good position but there are still 90 minutes to be played." #UCL
— Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) February 18, 2015"
Here are our winners and losers from the round of 16 game, bar the obvious winner in Danilo.
Loser: Jackson Martinez, Who Underwhelmed
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Much is expected of Jackson Martinez when Europe turns their watchful eyes upon him, but on this occasion he failed to deliver the goods.
The 25-goal centre-forward, usually pivotal to his side's dominant play with some clever touches and build-up play, was absent for the entire first half and only improved marginally in the second.
He had one golden chance, which he fluffed by chipping the ball over the bar, while all the set piece chances fell to the surprisingly springy and powerful Casemiro.
Martinez had a case for a penalty in the first half, but ultimately he was surprisingly ineffectual.
Winners: The Officials, Who Made a Gutsy Call
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Casemiro poked FC Porto level in the second half, but after much discussion between referee and linesman, they ruled the goal out. The reason? The officials correctly judged two Dragons to be impeding goalkeeper Tomas Vaclik's line of sight and route to the ball as the shot flew past him, so they therefore deemed it a foul.
This was a very, very brave call, but it was absolutely spot on.
You don't see many of these given—particularly in 50-50 scraps at corners! The officiating crew deserve commendation for their decision.
It was a messy game with nine yellow cards dished out, and it's fair to say referee Mark Clattenburg struggled to keep a lid on it, but he got the crucial call right.
Loser: Yacine Brahimi, Who Also Underwhelmed
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We thought Yacine Brahimi had climbed over the hump impeding his form; the weekend goal in FC Porto's routine Liga NOS win over Vitoria Guimaraes was a welcome back to the scoresheet after time away with Algeria.
But he was very poor on Wednesday night in Switzerland and was replaced in the second half by the far more effective Ricardo Quaresma. Brahimi suffered a hefty foul early in a physical game and struggled to impose his will as a result.
He'll have lots to prove if he's to start the home leg on March 10.
Winner: Hector Herrera, Who Excelled in the Centre
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Porto's Hector Herrera is the midfield engine that never stops, but he's also got the technical ability to make the difference if his legs can't quite do it.
His accurate passes in behind Basel's defensive line fed Cristian Tello all evening and caused the hosts fits. If Tello could actually time a run properly, Herrera would have at least one assist to his name.
The world woke up to the Mexican's brilliance at the 2014 FIFA World Cup, and now he's furthering his reputation with consistently excellent displays.
Loser: Walter Samuel, Who Was Terrible
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So Walter Samuel's declined pretty sharply, huh?
A stand-in for the suspended (and brilliant) Fabian Schar, the Argentine conceded a penalty, should have conceded another and got booked for going straight through the back of Jackson Martinez.
Football Radar's Jack Rathborn noted Samuel's poor play:
"Penalty to Porto, no argument from Samuel, who has been a disaster and should go shortly after this tweet is sent...
— Jack Rathborn (@JackRathborn) February 18, 2015"
He's always defended right on the edge in terms of what's legal and what's not, but in losing yet another step due to age, he seems to be committing foul after foul after foul.
One of his worst-ever performances.
