18 October 2006, by Sean Gillen

Confident Porto breeze past Hamburg

FC Porto 4-1 Hamburg

FC Porto put themselves back into contention for qualification for the next round after a convincing win over German side Hamburg at a rain-soaked Estadio do Dragao.

Two goals from Argentine forward Lisandro Lopez, plus others from Lucho Gonzalez and Helder Postiga gave the Portuguese champions their first win in the group.

Jeualdo Ferreira: "It was a well-deserved victory. It’s wide open."

Jesualdo Ferreira made just one change from the team that beat Maritimo at the weekend, with Jorge Fucile replacing Bosingwa at right-back, and the hosts controlled the game from the first minute to the last in what were difficult conditions after a downpour of rain in the north of Portugal.

Helder Postiga, fresh from his double against Maritimo, threatened in the opening minute, breaking down the right and cutting in before lashing his shot wide of the near post. Hamburg’s Juan Pablo Sorin then hit a long-range effort wide in a lively start to the match.

Porto took the lead in the 14th minute after Brazilian sensation Anderson intercepted a pass on the left and charged into the Hamburg penalty area to cross for Lisandro Lopez to tap into an empty net at the far post.

A confident Postiga then almost doubled the advantage after some brilliant individual play. Raul Meireles’ long ball found Lopez, who cushioned the ball down to Postiga and the Portuguese international’s wonderful first touch freed him of the attentions of the Hamburg defenders, but goalkeeper Sascha Kirschstein was alert to the danger, and blocked Postiga’s finished.

Ricardo Quaresma was unlucky not to win a penalty after being brought down by a rash challenge from Nigel De Jong, and the winger was harshly booked for diving.

Let-off

If Porto were unlucky with a refereeing call on that occasion, they were very fortuitous with Alan Hamer’s next decision. Atouba’s whipped ball into the box saw striker Daniel Ljuboja beat Helton to the ball and prod home, only for the referee to award a free-kick against the Hamburg man for a foul on the Brazilian goalkeeper.

Porto got their second in first half injury time when they were awarded a penalty after a ludicrous handball from Ljuboja. The Serbian forward could count himself lucky to have stayed on the pitch, having already been booked when he reached out to control a deep cross at the back post with his arm. Captain Lucho Gonzalez stepped up and found the bottom corner to double the home side’s advantage.

Hamburg had enjoyed decent spells of possession in the last ten minutes of the first half, and did again for parts of the second period. However, the Bundesliga side were unable to transfer their light pressure into goalscoring opportunities, with the home side’s centre-back pairing of the outstanding Brazilian, Pepe, and Bruno Alves seemingly first to every ball into the Porto area as the visitors struggled to troubled Helton.

The third goal came courtesy of some wonderful individual play from Ricardo Quaresma. The winger glided past Sorin before drifting a pinpoint cross to the back post for Postiga to head home.

Quaresma was replaced shortly afterwards by Bruno Moraes, and the substitute set up the fourth goal in the 81st minute, evading two challenges before finding Lopez, who pushed the ball past Kirschstein for his second of the match.

Hamburg got a late consolation when Piotr Trochowski cut in from the left and fired an unstoppable drive into the far corner, but the result and performance was a big lift to the Portuguese champions after a difficult start to the competition.

Group leaders Arsenal’s surprise loss in Russia to CSKA Moscow has blown the group wide open, and on this showing Porto will feel confident of getting a positive result in Germany in their next fixture.

PortuGOAL Man of the Match: Lisandro Lopez
The Argentine’s sharp forward play brought him two goals, and his opening strike after fifteen minutes settled the hosts down and set the tone for a confident display.

FC Porto:
Helton, Fucile, Cech, Bruno Alves, Pepe, Raul Meireles, Lucho Gonzales, Anderson (Jorginho, 43), Quaresma (Vieirinha, 80) Lopez, Postiga (Moraes, 75)
Yellow Cards: Quaresma (22), Fucile (30)

Hamburg:
Kirschstein, Atouba (Guerrero, 67), Sorin, Mathijsen, Benjamin (Fillinger, 47), De Jong, Wicky (Klingbeil, 54), Mahdavikia, Trochowski, Ljuboja, Sanogo
Yellow Cards: Ljuboja (26), Mahdavikia (31), De Jong (86)

Goals:
[1-0] Lopez, 14
[2-0] Lucho Gonzalez (pen), 45
[3-0] Postiga, 69
[4-0] Lopez, 81
[4-1] Trochowski, 89