Portuguese football/soccer: FC Porto’s Champions League campaign

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12 December 2007, by Andy Brassell

FC Porto’s Champions League campaign

How far can the Dragons go?

While their domestic counterparts Sporting and Benfica have struggled with the demands of the Champions League Porto have shown, through winning their group in Europe’s premier cup competition, all the qualities that make them look odds-on for a third successive Superliga title.

Excluding the closing stages of the away tie at Liverpool – where they shipped three goals in a crazy 12 minute spell – the Dragons played pretty much the perfect qualification campaign. Confident home performances have been matched by industrious away showings, and coach Jesualdo Ferreira’s tactics of playing Lisandro Lopez as a lone striker supported by Ricardo Quaresma and Tarik Sektioui have worked a treat, giving the team plenty of attacking options when they have the ball and solidity and shape when they don’t.

The balance of the side and the all-round quality of his squad has been such that they were even able to win against Marseille without inspirational captain Lucho Gonzalez, a feat that they hadn’t managed since the Argentinian’s 2005 arrival at the club. Jesualdo will be satisfied with winning the group but with the way the games have gone, he will feel they could have easily got through the group unbeaten, and thus sealed qualification earlier.

Leading lights Quaresma and Lucho have impressed throughout, as have less feted – but equally important – figures such as Paolo Assuncao, Bruno Alves and Jose Bosingwa.

Lisandro and Tarik brilliance

Yet the real revelations have been up front. Lisandro has finally shown his true worth in his third season at the club, not only weighing in with vital goals like the winner against Marseille at the Dragao, but showing his aptitude at bringing others into the game, as he did when creating Quaresma’s qualification clinching goal against Besiktas.

Tarik’s emergence has been an even more unforeseen bonus. Packed off on loan to RKC Waalwijk in the Eredivisie last season, he has grabbed the second chance given to him by Jesualdo with both hands and is in the form of his life. The Moroccan has worked tirelessly for the team while also making the most of his pace and trickery, and his performances have even earned him a recall to his national side. And it will be a shock if anyone manages to score a better goal in this season’s Champions League than Tarik’s stunning solo effort in the home match with Marseille.

Winning their group for the first time since Antonio Oliveira’s side managed it in 1996/97, Porto will be drawn against one of the second-placed teams from one of the other groups and therefore could find themselves in a good position to go at least one better than last season’s narrow exit to Chelsea in the last 16.

Your Say

Will Porto make it to the quarter-finals this season, or even better? Has Jesualdo fashioned the club’s most competitive side since the Mourinho era? Let us know what you think using the form at the bottom of this page.

Related: FC Porto 2-0 Besiktas - match report
Related: FC Porto 2-0 Besiktas - match reaction

Your comments

Roberto, UK
22/12/2007 00:07
Schalke is a great draw for Porto. Now they can surely reach the quarter-finals.
Tonni, Malta
20/12/2007 14:00
I think that NO ONE can stop the Dragoes unless they take away the Best Players like: Bosingwa, Lucho, QUARESMA, FUCILE etc.. these rich clubs can be the cause of the Fall Down of Porto...but unless these players stay FC PORTO are INVICIBLE!!!! PORTO RULES!!!
kukurydza,
14/12/2007 12:06
quaresma is not able to win champions league on his own. he needs support. he's able to do everything on a pitch but if he has a bad day he plays like crap, he's tottaly useless. i believe we'll see porto at least in quarters
Tony Lima, Marysville, CA USA
14/12/2007 03:14
Good comments and observations. Porto has a quality side that has a good shot to make it to the quarter-finals. Anythng else beyond that is icing on the cake. It would be best to avoid English clubs in the early rounds but most of the teams left are of good quality.

They can compete against the best teams in Europe but seem to come up a little short. I don't think they will get blown away. They need to avoid the meltdown like the one against Liverpool. It will be hard with a reckless fool like Stepanov in the center of the backline. 2 goals against Liverpool were directly due to his incompetent play. Teams with the budget of a Porto to advance need to have a very solid backline. Pepe is greatly missed.
Porto has some good players in the attack but not to the quality of the teams usually left in the final 16. The big dollar teams usually have 1-2 attacking players above what Porto can put out. Quaresma will need to play very consistent and at a high level for Porto to do well. I hope I'm wrong and want to be wrong about Quaresma but he has not proven he can carry the team in Europe. Lisandro is in fine form so hopefully they can feed him the ball in good scoring positions.
As a fan of all Portugal clubs, I hope Porto put on a good showing. They have been the best Portuguese club in Europe in the last 20 years. GO PORTO!!
Roberto, London
14/12/2007 00:53
Depends on the luck of the draw. If they can avoid Arsenal in the next round they have a great chance to make the quarters. When it gets to that stage, anything can happen. I don't see them going all the way, but sometimes luck can help at the right times.
jay, yo mamma
13/12/2007 20:39
they have a good chance of making to the quarters, anything less would be a disappointment.
Vasco, Toronto
13/12/2007 17:19
Anything is possible, but I don't think that Porto will win the Champs. League. With teams like Man U, Real and Milan contesting for the same thing, I don't think Porto match up. I just think there are teams who have way more experience in this competition and more talented than Porto. It would be great for the country, but Quaresma, Lucho and Lisandro just can't compete. Porto are extremely limited in this regard and it will show.
Yan Su, PR China
13/12/2007 07:06
I think Porto will be the Champion of Champions League again.
Michael, Randolph, NJ
13/12/2007 01:46
Porto have a squad full of quality players. Quaresma, Lucho, Lisandro, Tarik, B. Alves, Meireles, Bosingwa etc..etc.. If they get lucky with their draws as they did in 2004 and can avoid meltdowns like the one in Liverpool, I can see them making the semi's this year. And please Jesualdo, play P. Emanuel instead of the bungling Stepanov in defence.
Michael Alexandre, San Jose, USA
12/12/2007 23:52
Porto has a real well reounded squad. I feel they can get to the seni-finals with ease, but im not so sure after. Porto tends to struggle against English clubs and if Man U makes it to the semi-finals it's likely they will face Porto. I dont see Porto beating Man U or Liverpool, but they got a shot at Chelsea.
kukurydza,
12/12/2007 22:04
last year porto was better side than four years ago. but in crucial time they were without anderson and adriano was not in fit. this time quaresma, lisandro, lucho, bosingwa can make many teams cry
Steve, Miami, FLorida
12/12/2007 21:12
Porto can go all the way! No reason to think they cant suprise this year like they did in 2004. I know this is not the same team as 2004, but they still play at the Dragao and they are the best team in Portugal, so there is no reason to think they can't be the best in Europe again!!!
Fernando, USA
12/12/2007 18:55
Even I think FC Porto can reach to the quarter or even the semi if they get the less stronger teams when the draw is made, and I'm a Benfica supporter! But it is wrong to say this team is so good as the Mourinho team with Ricard Carvalho, Deco, Maniche, Mcarthy and others
kukurydza,
12/12/2007 18:20
I think Porto is able to do a lot of in Europe this year. The have quality squad and can beat every side. if they get team like celtic, rangers or schalke they'll go through

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