like it was an amazing game. Porto won a penalty at the 89' and it looked like it would end as a draw but APOEL somehow scored a winner in the 90th minute! This guys are actually on top of the group right now!
Gustavo Manduca's last-minute winner meant APOEL Nicosia remained unbeaten at the top of Group G after their Champions League clash against FC Porto.
Ailton Almeida scored the opening goal from the penalty spot against the run of play before Porto striker Hulk equalised in the 89th minute, also from the spot.
It looked like the Portuguese side had salvaged a draw after they had dominated possession, but Manduca's 90th- minute winner sealed the win for the reigning Cypriot champions.
The Nicosia-based club only made their first appearance in the Champions League two seasons ago and look to have made huge strides forward since they finished fourth in a group that contained Chelsea, Atletico Madrid and Porto.
APOEL have now won two and drawn two in this season's European campaign, while reigning Europa League champions Porto are in third after Zenit St Petersburg's 1-0 win over Shakhtar Donetsk.
Porto enjoyed the majority of the possession in the first half but were left to rue their inability to convert any of their chances as APOEL sneaked an unlikely lead just before the break.
Porto striker Hulk proved to be a constant threat, forcing APOEL goalkeeper into the action early on with a strike from the middle of the area.
The Brazilian striker was at the heart of the Porto attack and tried to push forward at every opportunity as both sides looked to control possession early on.
Manduca fired a shot over the bar for the Cyprus side in the ninth minute in a rare chance as APOEL struggled to mount any counter-attacks.
Hulk almost opened the scoring for Porto in the 19th minute after a powerful run down the left but his strong shot was cleared at the near post after he failed to create a decent angle.
APOEL striker Almeida then missed the target with a diving header at the near post which hit the base of the upright.
Hulk and Alvaro Pereira combined well down the left but another chance went begging for Porto when Hulk's route into the area was blocked off by the APOEL defence as the Portuguese side failed to find the decisive final ball.
Urko Pardo then made another save, this time from a low, fizzing shot by Hulk, to keep the scores locked at 0-0.
However, it was the home side who opened the scoring in the 42nd minute when Porto defender Eliaquim Mangala fouled Almeida in the area and conceded a penalty.
Almeida stepped up and struck the ball into the bottom right-hand corner from the spot to give APOEL the lead against the run of play.
After the break, Porto continued to make plenty of chances, with Hulk, Joao Moutinho and Fernando Belluschi all seeing their shots neutralised by the home defence.
Hulk looked to have salvaged a point in the 89th minute when he scored from the spot after Marcelo de Oliveira fouled James Rodriguez in the area, however it was not to be as APOEL hit back two minutes later.
Konstantinos Charalambidis fired in a great cross and found Manduca in the box, whose left-footed strike from close range sealed the win for APOEL..
4 posters
APOEL 2-1 FC Porto
Weather130-
- Posts : 4025
Age : 36
Location : Pittsburgh, PA
- Post n°1
APOEL 2-1 FC Porto
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- Post n°2
Re: APOEL 2-1 FC Porto
I was on Twitter for the first half. Everyone watching the game was praising APOEL.
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- Post n°3
Re: APOEL 2-1 FC Porto
Oh APOEL... the team that knocked my team out of the champions league group stages 4 minutes from qualifying and set my team to a downward spiral of form and loss of morale....
TBF APOEL are a very very very good side. They are on par with the top European teams, and are showing it. They've had great stability and chemistry and their team is relatively unchanged for the past 3 seasons.
TBF APOEL are a very very very good side. They are on par with the top European teams, and are showing it. They've had great stability and chemistry and their team is relatively unchanged for the past 3 seasons.
Weather130-
- Posts : 4025
Age : 36
Location : Pittsburgh, PA
- Post n°4
Re: APOEL 2-1 FC Porto
They have beat Zenit and Porto in Europe but are not first in the Cypriot League at the current moment... They are 5-2-1 tied on points for first but technically in 3rd and have played one more game then the two teams above them.
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- Post n°5
Re: APOEL 2-1 FC Porto
It's still early in the season. The other Cypriot teams are not that bad either. It's only natural that they have to improve to compete with the bar set by APOEL in recent years. I see it happening every season in Poland.
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- Post n°7
Re: APOEL 2-1 FC Porto
my threadjacking? Mad Swag.Sean wrote:How do you do it Polska?
Weather130-
- Posts : 4025
Age : 36
Location : Pittsburgh, PA
- Post n°8
Re: APOEL 2-1 FC Porto
It should be noted if APOEL manage to "bottle it" and get 0 points in the remaining fixtures that they have already clinched a Europa League Round of 32 spot.
dena-
- Posts : 18688
Age : 35
Location : only place to find base heads and hot women
- Post n°9
Re: APOEL 2-1 FC Porto
IN YOUR FACE MARVIN, IN YOUR FACE. OOOOOOOOOOHHHH IT HURTS DON'T IT
fluffy_kittens-
- Posts : 3190
Location : New Jersey, USA
- Post n°10
Re: APOEL 2-1 FC Porto
dena wrote:IN YOUR FACE MARVIN, IN YOUR FACE. OOOOOOOOOOHHHH IT HURTS DON'T IT
glory hunter