Porto 1 Club Brugge 0: Own goal eliminates Belgian champions

Porto took a big step to reviving their Champions League campaign with a much-needed 1-0 home win to eliminate Club Brugge at the Estadio do Dragao.

Prolific striker Andre Silva proved to have the decisive say in a tight Group G contest as his header in the closing stages of the first half found its way past Ludovic Butelle via a deflection off the unfortunate Tomas Pina.

The victory sets the Portuguese side up for a crucial match with FC Copenhagen in Denmark later this month, with Porto climbing into second place as leaders Leicester City held the Danes.

Club Brugge made it four defeats out of four, but will feel hard done by to go out to a deflected effort in an otherwise resilient performance.

The home side enjoyed the majority of the early possession and had an appeal for a penalty waved away in the 10th minute when Silva went down under pressure from Stefano Denswil following an early cross.

Club Brugge had their first meaningful chance a quarter of an hour later when former Ajax defender Ricardo van Rhijn directed a low cross that was flicked goalwards by Wesley and well turned round the post by Iker Casillas.

From the resulting corner, the Belgian champions had appeals for a spot-kick turned down after the ball appeared to strike the outstretched arm of Oliver.

Porto began to turn the screw and Felipe arguably should have done better with his spinning volley straight at Brugge goalkeeper Butelle after Danilo had headed a corner back into the danger zone.

Seven minutes before the interval Porto did break the deadlock. An outswinging corner from Alex Telles was met by the glancing head of Silva, striking the shoulder of Pina before falling into the far corner past a motionless Butelle.

The home side should have doubled their lead on the hour mark when Silva went down inside the box before Diogo Jota’s follow-up shot was well parried, and Oliver’s effort rolled agonisingly wide of the left post.

Telles could have arguably done better when he was found in space inside the box, but dragged his cross just wide of the far post in what was one of a sequence of misplaced balls.