UEFA Champions League: 10 -man Porto knock out Juventus
Cristiano Ronaldo got the blame for Juventus’s Champions League exit to Porto, as he turned his back in the wall and let Sergio Oliveira’s extra-time free-kick fly through his legs.
The ball – hit from a fair distance out – reached Wojciech Szczesny in goal, but the former Arsenal keeper couldn’t keep the ball out, as he palmed it into the net.
That made an action-packed game 2-2 on the night, but 4-3 to Porto on aggregate. Juventus pulled one back through Adrien Rabiot, but the last-16 tie finished 4-4 overall and Porto went through on away goals.
Ronaldo and Szczesny will be looked at for their role in the crucial goal.
THIS IS TRULY INCREDIBLE!!!!
Sérgio Oliveira scores for 10-man Porto and the visitors are on the brink of going through!
WHAT. A. GAME! pic.twitter.com/PkUAlrfxd5
— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) March 9, 2021
Ronaldo's role in the wall for that free kick pic.twitter.com/xCDYC1jkv3
— GCIIMessi (@GCIIMessi) March 9, 2021
Maybe @Cristiano isn't your guy for making a wall. #JUVPOR #UCL pic.twitter.com/rgHI28j24c
— Troop 501 (@NotTheCabin) March 9, 2021
Porto pinch it surely. We’ve finally found something Ronaldo can’t do: stand still in a wall. Blimey, Juve have scored again. 4-4 and Porto lead on away goals. Bonkers game.
— Gary Lineker 💙 (@GaryLineker) March 9, 2021
Juventus and Ronaldo – the record Champions League goalscorer – exited the competition. Juve have never got past the quarter-final stage since the Portuguese ace joined the club in 2018.
Porto actually got off to a perfect start with Oliveira’s first-half penalty putting the visitors 1-0 up on the night and 3-1 up on aggregate.
However, Juventus got their act together in the second half as the man who scored their goal in the first leg – Federico Chiesa – curled in a superb shot to equalize on the night.
Federico Chiesa is the first Italian player to score 2️⃣+ goals in a #UCL knockout stage game for Juventus since Filippo Inzaghi…
That was in April 1999 against Manchester United! 🤯
📝 Credit: @OptaPaolo pic.twitter.com/mBkd5vu4JK
— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) March 9, 2021
A second booking for Porto’s Mehdi Taremi followed a few minutes later – for kicking the ball away of all things – and his side were down to 10 men as the striker trudged off.
Then that man Chiesa struck again, this time meeting Juan Cuadrado’s cross with a powerful header to level the tie overall at 3-3.
Former Chelsea winger Cuadrado was the inspiration for Juve’s second-half fightback – and he almost won the game for the Serie A side when his injury-time shot struck the underside of the bar but came back out.
Juventus were THIS CLOSE to going through in the 93rd minute! 😱
A superb Juan Cuadrado effort rattled off the bar ❌
FT: Juventus 2-1 Porto (3-3 agg)
Next up: extra-time! 🙌 pic.twitter.com/t8ravwyQ3O
— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) March 9, 2021
That sent the game into extra time, where Moussa Marega had a chance to put Porto ahead with a close-range header but the forward powered it straight at Szczesny.
But Szczesny was at least partially to blame for the goal which put Porto through, as he failed to keep out the long-range free-kick which went through Ronaldo in the wall and into the back of the net.
