FC Porto vs. Bayern Munich: Winners and Losers from Champions League
Porto shocked Bayern Munich on Wednesday, beating their visitors 3-1 at the Estadio do Dragao in the first leg of their Champions League quarterfinal clash.
The Portuguese side blitzed Pep Guardiola's men for two goals in the opening 10 minutes, with Ricardo Quaresma converting an early penalty before finishing a one-on-one with Manuel Neuer to double his side's advantage.
Thiago Alcantara pulled a goal back for Bayern before half-time, but Jackson Martinez restored the host's two-goal advantage after the hour mark and the visitors had no answer.
It was a statement performance from Porto, who had some real heroes emerge as they issued their intent as contenders for the Champions League title. For Bayern, it was a bit of a disaster, especially as the goals they conceded largely resulted from individual errors.
Following Wednesday's match, B/R takes a closer look at the action, picking the winners and losers.
Winner: Jackson Martinez
1 of 5
Much of Porto's success on Wednesday was derived from their high pressing, which forced Bayern into mistake after mistake. That pressing began with star striker Jackson Martinez, who was equally effective on defense and as a goalscoring threat.
Just moments after the opening whistle, the Colombian forward dispossessed Xabi Alonso just outside the Bayern box and drew a penalty that could have seen goalkeeper Manuel Neuer sent off. Martinez arguably did all the hard work for the opener that put Porto in control.
Although he didn't score the penalty, Martinez eventually got his goal. It was a key third for Porto and was taken brilliantly. His first touch was slightly heavy, but he still had the pace to be first to the ball and the quality to finish.
Loser: Xabi Alonso
2 of 5
Xabi Alonso has generally had a good season in the Bundesliga, but his performances in his last three Champions League games leave plenty to be desired.
In November, his errant pass let Sergio Aguero in to score a vital goal as Manchester City completed an improbable comeback. In the round of 16, he was badly beaten for pace and sent off in a scoreless draw with Shakhtar. And on Wednesday, he was lucky to cost Bayern only one goal.
Porto had a dream start to the game thanks to Martinez dispossessing Alonso just outside his own penalty area and then drawing a penalty. Early in the second half, he lost the ball again in a dangerous position after a heavy touch but was just able to clear the ball for a corner.
To his credit, Alonso was one of the few Bayern players whose passing accuracy impressed. He misplaced just one pass, per the official Bundesliga website, before his substitution in the 74th minute. But that statistic is of little importance.
He wasn't able to stretch the Porto defense with his passing range and was too sloppy under pressure.
Winner: Ricardo Quaresma
3 of 5
Ricardo Quaresma's career, for the most part, has been one of disappointment. The winger, who turns 32 in September, always had a ton of potential and immense individual talent, yet his spells at big clubs like Barcelona and Internazionale were largely failures.
Quaresma showed his years on Wednesday, but in a positive way. He played with maturity in a big game and finally made good on his potential. In previous years, he may have missed the penalty or failed to convert the one-on-one opportunity he had shortly after the opener.
On Wednesday, he actually converted and had a brace within the first 10 minutes. Quaresma had a certain flair about his play thereafter—his clever tricks on the ball caused Juan Bernat loads of problems on the wing.
Yet he also didn't draw so much attention to himself that he denied his teammates the chance to exert their influence on the game, which kept Porto dynamic and unpredictable.
Loser: Dante
4 of 5
"I'd love to have 1,000 Dantes in my team," Pep Guardiola told reporters in a press conference earlier this month, per BBC. On Wednesday night, he probably would have been better off without even one.
Things went from bad to worse for Bayern inside 10 minutes when, already a goal behind, Bayern conceded a second as Quaresma nipped the ball off Dante's foot and finished past Neuer.
Dante didn't exactly cover himself in glory for Porto's third, either, but the damage was done by that point.
With Holger Badstuber a fit and capable replacement, it's uncertain whether the Brazilian will get his chance in Guardiola's team again.
Winner: Alex Sandro
5 of 5
Danilo may be a future Real Madrid man, but Alex Sandro was marginally the better of the Porto full-backs on Wednesday.
The left-sided defender had a great performance in both attack and defense, stifling Thomas Muller while also bombing forward to support his teammates in possession.
The Brazilian played an inspired ball to set up Martinez's goal and was a real rock at the back, winning 15 of his 20 attempted challenges, per the official Bundesliga website.
Still just 24 years of age, he'll have plenty to show the football world in the coming years.
