Seeking progression to the quarterfinals of the UEFA Champions League for the first time since 2010, the first leg of Arsenal’s round-of-sixteen tie saw the Gunners head to the Iberian peninsula to face FC Porto at the Estádio do Dragão. Coincidentally, it was FC Porto that Arsenal saw off at this stage of the tournament in 2010.
POR: Costa; Wendell, Otávio, Pepe, Mário; Nico, Varela; Galeno, Pepê, Conceição; Evanilson
ARS: Raya; Kiwior, Gabriel, Saliba, White; Havertz, Rice, Ødegaard; Martinelli, Trossard, Saka
If Arsenal were ‘all full of energy and excitement to play the game’ as Mikel Arteta told reporters in his pre-match conference on Tuesday, the Gunners certainly didn’t show it against FC Porto at the Estádio do Dragão.
Embed from Getty ImagesThe hosts should arguably have been ahead at half-time – after both Nico González and Wenderson Galeno squandered great opportunities to open the scoring, with the latter seeing his strike clatter against the woodwork before then placing the rebounded effort wide of the target.
The Gunners did not register a single shot on target throughout the entirety of Wednesday’s clash in Porto, with their best chances coming as William Saliba, Kai Havertz and Leandro Trossard all blazed over the crossbar from corners.
Mikel Arteta’s side would be made to pay for their inability to convert chances, as Galeno made amends for his first-half miss in the 94th minute. Dancing past David Raya, the Brazilian curled an exquisite effort into the back of the net to hand FC Porto the upper hand in this European knockout tie.
Embed from Getty ImagesArsenal now have all the work to do as they welcome the Portuguese side to Emirates Stadium on March 12, as the Gunners look to overcome the deficit to progress to the quarterfinals for the first time in fourteen years.
