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Champions League | Group Stage
Sep 18, 2013 at 7.45pm UK
 
Porto

0-1

FT(HT: 0-0)
Gonzalez (55')

Live Commentary: Austria Vienna 0-1 FC Porto - as it happened

Sports Mole brings you all the action from tonight's clash between Austria Vienna and FC Porto in Group G of the Champions League.
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FC Porto have got their Champions League campaign off to a winning start against Austria Vienna.

The Portuguese team were not at their best this evening but came up trumps thanks to Lucho Gonzalez's second-half strike at the Ernst-Happel-Stadion.

You can read how all the action unfolded below.


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Good evening! Welcome to Sports Mole for tonight's clash between Austria Vienna and FC Porto in Group G of the Champions League.

First thing's first, let's get some team news from the Ernst-Happel-Stadion...

AUSTRIA: Lindner, Koch, Rogulj, Ortlechner, Suttner, Stankovic, Holland, Mader, Royer, Hosiner, Jun

PORTO: Helton, Danilo, Mangala, Sandro, Otamendi, Lucho Gonzalez, Josue, Lica, Fernando, Martinez, Varela

Both teams lineup in a 4-3-3, although Porto's is more traditional with Jackson Martinez, Silvestre Varela and Lica leading the line, supplemented by a midfield three of Josue, Lucho and Fernando. Daniel Royer and Tomas Jun will operate as wide forwards, while Philipp Hosiner will be the main focus of their attack. Florian Mader, Marko Stankovic and James Holland start in what will likely be a congested midfield.

This is the first time that Austria have reached the group stages of the Champions League. They won their 24th Austrian Bundesliga title last season, thanks largely to 32 goals from danger man Philipp Hosiner. He starts tonight alongside Czech international Tomas Jun.

They finally made their way into group competition by defeating FH Hafnarfjordur of Iceland 1-0 on aggregate in the third qualifying round before beating Dinamo Zagreb 4-3 on aggregate.

Austria have never gotten the better of Portuguese opponents, losing not only to Porto in 2002 but also to Benfica in the 1961 European Cup first round and the 2006-2007 Champions League third-qualifying round. They came up against CD Nacional in the 2009/10 UEFA Europa League and lost 6-2 on aggregate.

Porto won just one match on their travels in last season's Champions League, beating Dinamo Zagreb 2-0. The only other point they picked up on the road was against Dynamo Kiev, with defeats coming to Paris Saint-Germain and then Malaga in the last 16 of the competition.

They beat Rapid Vienna 3-1 on their last visit to the Austria capital, under Andre Villas-Boas, in the 2009-2010 Europa League.

The two teams are enjoying differing fortunes in their domestic campaigns. Austria hack kicked off the defence of their title with three wins, three draws and two losses, leaving them six points off leaders Red Bull Salzburg. On the other hand, Porto sit top of the Primeira Liga with four wins from four.

Officiating tonight will be Scotland's finest. Craig Thomson will be on the whistle, while the assistant referees are Alan Mulvanny and David Mcgeachie. The fourth official is Derek Rose.

We're just under five minutes from kickoff at the Ernst-Happel-Stadion.

KICKOFF! Porto get the game underway...

Very noise stadium tonight. The home fans are whistling Porto in possession. I wonder how long they'll be able to keep that up, considering the gulf in class between these two sides. You have to expect Porto to see a lot of the ball. Although it's Austria's first foray into the group stages, so the fans will be right up for this.

SHOT! Fernando has the first pop at goal and it's on target, forcing Lindner into a save. Varela delivered the resulting corner but it was easily cleared by the Austria defence.

Porto have started well and are passing the ball about confidently, but as expected that midfield is packed with bodies. Paulo Fonseca, who is making his Champions League debut on the sidelines, paces his technical area. He guided Pacos de Ferreira to a third-placed finish last season, which got him the job of succeeding Vitor Pereira at the Estadio do Dragao.

SHOT! Royer has a go from distance but it always looked too high. Austria haven't made a bad start either. In fact, they have seen all of the ball in the last couple of minutes.

After a decent start from Porto, it's now Austria who have really come on strong in the last five minutes. They've had a couple of corners but have not been able to make them count.

Nenad Bjelica has his side working hard to close the visitors down and so far it's working. Porto have absolutely no time on the ball in Austra's half and it's leading to a lot of sloppy passes.

Royer has made a very bright start for Austria, he's been the attacking outlet down the right so far. Most of their play seems to be going through him. He's not bad in defence either, as he wins the ball from Lica before being brought down by Alex Sandro.

BLOCK! Varela made a run down the right but his cross was snuffed out by Suttner. The ball came back off the forward for a goal kick, and Austria broke down field. Royer found himself with an opportunity to shoot on the edge of the box, but another brilliant block - this time from Alex Sandro - prevents Helton from having to make a save. Good entertainment so far, both teams going for it!

Porto are just trying to keep the ball at the moment. Most of the passes are at the back and they look to pen Austria into their own half. The home side looking organised, though, and not allowing their opponents a route through.

The visitors have had 61% of possession, although it would be fair to say that Austria have looked the more threatening.

CHANCE! That was a decent opportunity - albeit a hard one - for Jackson Martinez! It was his doggedness that won possession in the final third, and he then got on the end of a lofted through ball but blazed high and wide of Lindner's near post on the half-volley.

The hosts have had three corners so far but each one has been worse than the last.

SHOT! First sniff at goal for Hosiner, as he sweeps wide from Koch's delivery. Helton had it covered all the way but made the Hollywood dive just in case.

Bjelica will be pleased with how his team have acquitted themselves so far. They're working very hard and are right in this game, but how would they react if they went a goal down?

Porto are exerting a bit of pressure now, Austria's defence are forced into their own third. It's a matter of holding out until half time now.

SHOT! Speculative effort from the half-way line from Stankovic. Helton never looked in trouble but it didn't go over the bar by much. Maybe a waste of possession but they are in survival mode at the moment as Porto come on strong at the end of the first 45.

BOOKING! Koch becomes the first man into the book for a foul on Lica. He is quickly followed by Alex Santos, who blocked off Royer.

Lica teases a dangerous cross into the back post but it's dealt with by Sutter.

HALF TIME: Austria Vienna 0-0 FC Porto

A decent first half comes to a close with Porto in the ascendancy. Austria made the brighter start in the first 25 minutes but the best chance fell to Jackson Martinez. However, the Colombian could not find the target from a ever-tightening angle. Still, it's Bjelica who will be by far the happier of the two coaches.

AUSTRIA STATS:
Shots: 9
On target: 1
Possession: 34%
Corners: 3
Fouls: 6
Yellow: 1
Red: 0

PORTO STATS:
Shots: 4
On target: 1
Possession: 66%
Corners: 3
Fouls: 10
Yellow: 1
Red: 0

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE SCORES:
Napoli 1-0 Dortmund
Chelsea 1-0 Basel
Barcelona 1-0 Ajax
AC Milan 0-0 Celtic
Schalke 0-0 Steaua Bucuresti
Marseille 0-0 Arsenal
Atletico 1-0 Zenit St Petersburg

Apologies, the bottom score is wrong. It's currently 1-0 to Atletico. A manual refresh will see that error corrected.

The players are making their way back onto the pitch. The home side are out first, showing the eagerness they've so far demonstrated this evening.

Austria get the second half underway at the Ernst-Happel-Stadion.

Again it's the hosts who are out of the blocks quicker at the start of the second period. Stankovic wins a free kick from Josue, but he wastes it trying to set up Suttner with a miscued backheel. Trying to be too cute.

Austria are letting Porto have the ball at the back. Fonseca is more animated than he was in the first half, I'm not sure he'll be content with just a point here. They could very easily lose this match. Austria are considered the weakest team in the group and Porto's approach this evening has been somewhat laboured.

GOAL! Austria Vienna 0-1 FC Porto (Lucho Gonzalez)

The Ernst-Happel-Stadion falls deftly silent as the visitors take the lead! Great wok by Danilo down right right, skipping over a challenge and getting to the byline before cutting the ball back to the edge of the box for Lucho, who wrong footed Lindner with a low drive at his near post. A lovely, composed finish from the Argentine.

OFF THE WOODWORK! Almost an immediate response from the hosts as Stankovic watches his headed effort come crashing off the post!

CHANCE! Great forward play by Hosiner to pick Otamendi's pocket on the half-way line and burst forward. He didn't quite have the pace to evade Mangala, who did enough to put him off before he shot straight at Helton.

Jackson Martinez hasn't really caught the eye this evening. He's been closed down quickly and muscled out of possession on quite a few occasions.

SHOT! Hosiner is beginning to make a nuisance of himself. He barged his way past Otamendi before unleashing a fierce shot the whistled just past the post. That's some strike he has on him, it's thunderous!

Hosiner looked a bit lost at times during the first half but he's definitely having more of a say now that Austria are chasing the game.

BOOKING! Hosiner goes down under a challenge from Mangala and the referee feels that he was looking for it. He goes into the book.

PORTO SUB: Marat Izmailov comes on to replace Lica, who hasn't really done much this evening. He was played on the left but continually drifted inside to avoid using his weaker foot. It was all a bit predictable.

AUSTRIA SUB: Tomas Simkovic comes on to replace Tomas Jun for the hosts.

BOOKING! Varela tugs back Koch after being beaten to the ball and gets a yellow card for his troubles.

Porto are keeping hold of the ball, as they were in the first half, but this time they're leading so it's understandable. They've been far from impressive this evening, though.

CLOSE! Once again Martinez's touch is heavy and he loses possession in the final third, but Austria quickly give it away as well. Varela is played in down the left but Lucho can't quite get his studs to the cross.

PORTO SUB: Silvestre Varela makes way for Hector Herrera.

So there's 10 minutes left for Austria to grab an equaliser, or for Porto to kill the game.

DOUBLE AUSTRIA SUB: Roman Kienast replaces Philipp Hosiner, while James Holland makes way for Rubin Okotie. Last roll of the dice from Bjelica.

The hosts are struggling to break defensive ranks at the moment. Fonseca is going to make his final change of the evening...

PORTO SUB: It's the goalscorer Lucho Gonzalez who is sacrificed for Juan Quintero.

Austria are throwing everyone forward in search of the equaliser now but Porto are standing strong. A good cross from Suttner down the right but it's headed away by Otamendi. They just don't have that cutting edge.

FULL TIME: Austria Vienna 0-1 FC Porto

Plenty of effort from the hosts tonight but a lack of guile and creativity has been their downfall. That, and Lucho Gonzalez.

The Portuguese outfit kick off their Champions League campaign with a win but they were not at their best at the Ernst-Happel-Stadion.

Thanks for joining us at Sports Mole. Come back tomorrow when we will have live coverage of the first round of Europa League fixtures. Until then, it's farewell...

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