ARSENAL have been stunned in their Champions League last 16 first leg courtesy of Galeno’s stoppage-time strike.
It seemed as if the Gunners were going to escape Portugal with a goalless draw.
However, Galeno’s sublime effort means the Gunners will need to score a minimum of two in the reverse fixture.
- RESULT: Porto 1-0 Arsenal
- Live stream: discovery+
- TV channel: TNT Sport 1
- Porto starting lineup: Diogo Costa; Mario, Otavia, Pepe, Wendell; Nico Gonzalez, Varela; Conceicao, Pepe, Galeno; Evanilson
- Arsenal starting lineup: Raya; White, Saliba, Gabriel, Kiwior; Rice, Odegaard, Havertz; Saka, Trossard, Martinelli
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Refocus needed to use defeat as springboard
You learn more from defeat than you do victory.
The result in Portugal tonight could prepare Arsenal more for the remainder of the season.
With a big game against Newcastle on the weekend, Mikel Arteta will be looking for his team to bounce back with a win.
Lessons to be learnt for Gunners
They were heavy favourites to win this leg in Portugal but it has not gone according to plan for Mikel Arteta.
Arsenal will still be heavily fancied to progress to the quarter-finals with home advantage in the second leg.
However, this has been a harsh lesson this evening.
Read the full match report here.
Boss focussed on improving team focus
The Arsenal manager spoke about where he felt this game was lost in Portugal this evening:
We lacked threat. We lacked aggression in the final third. These are things we are going to have to better in the second leg. We know them now and what to expect.
Mikel Arteta
Gunners left wanting in Europe
Lately in the Premier League, Arsenal have not been able to stop scoring 11 goals in their last two games.
Leandro Trossard played down the middle today, but Mikel Arteta’s side seemed to be lacking that focal point in the final third.
All too often he drifted into areas where he cannot hurt the opposition leaving Arsenal looking blunt in attack.
Norwegian pipeline shut off in Portugal
Martin Odegaard was rendered ineffective by Porto this evening.
When he did have the ball, he was unable to thread passes into dangerous areas to create chances for The Gunners.
If Arsenal are on form, it tends to be because the Norwegian midfielder is pulling the strings in the middle.
However, this evening Porto have shown that if you stop Odegaard, you stop Arsenal.
FT: Porto 1-0 Arsenal
We had our second shot on target in this game after 94 minutes.
Not that Porto will care as they saw it bend into the corner of the goal.
Arsenal go back to dominating possession and having no penetration in the final third to do anything with it.
FT: Porto 1-0 Arsenal
The referee brings the game to a close.
Arsenal have lost their first game of 2024.
Porto’s fans erupt as they hear the final whistle.
Scenes.
Porto 1-0 Arsenal
90+4. What a strike from the Porto playmaker.
From about twenty yards out, he shifts it from under his feet and bends one into the top corner.
In addded time, we finally have a shot on target and what an important goal it could be for Porto.
Goal – Galeno (Porto)
Porto 0-0 Arsenal
90+2. Saka goes down as he cuts inside and wins his side a free-kick.
Odegaard and Rice stand over the ball.
Gabriel comes over to tell them what he wants from this.
Rice puts it straight on Gabriel’s head and he balloons it over the bar.
Maybe they should have told the outspoken centre-back what they expect from him too.
Credit: Reuters Porto 0-0 Arsenal
90. White is penalised for a clumsy foul in the final third.
It gives Porto the chance to punish them late on now.
Yet again, it is a terrible delivery, nowhere near any of their own players.
We are going to have four additional minutes.
Porto 0-0 Arsenal
88. Saka whips in Arsenal’s ninth corner of the game.
Yet they are still to register a single shot on goal.
We have seen some great games in the Champions League this season, this is not one of them.
Porto 0-0 Arsenal
86. If the score remains like this, you would have to say it is a better result for Arsenal than it is Porto.
We will have a straight shootout in North London.
Arsenal force a corner, with the Porto players are protesting that decision to the referee.
Porto 0-0 Arsenal
84. It has been another ‘invisible man’ performance by Kai Havertz this evening.
Porto are bringing on Martinez and Borges.
Looking for some impetus in the final stages of the game.
Porto 0-0 Arsenal
82. There will be no need for either keeper to throw their gloves away after this game, that is for sure.
If they were to sell them online, it would be the epitomy of a ‘like new’ posting.
Neither side seem able to string a series of passes together at the moment.
Credit: Getty
Porto 0-0 Arsenal
80. We are into the final ten minutes of the game now.
There won’t be much added time at the end of this one.
Not like the Premier League, where there could be another twenty minutes left at least.
Porto 0-0 Arsenal
78. Odegaard comes forward and feeds the ball to Saka.
The Arsenal winger can make no progress and passes it all the way back to the halfway line.
Arteta’s side manage to force another corner.
Porto 0-0 Arsenal
76. Jorginho gives the ball away and Porto can break.
Arsenal try and get numbers behind the ball.
The hosts pass it all the way back to the defence and look to start again.
Porto 0-0 Arsenal
74. Trossard is coming off for Jorginho.
Quite a negative substitution by Mikel Arteta.
Striker for a defensive midfielder, shutting up shop it seems.
Porto 0-0 Arsenal
72. Rice floats in another corner but Costa does well to punch clear.
Arsenal recycle the ball and try to knock it long towards Rice.
Once again, the keeper comes to collect making it look easy.
Porto 0-0 Arsenal
70. Pepe is having a great game at the back for Porto.
He is showing that age is but a number tonight.
The veteran centre-back has bossed Havertz, Martinelli and Trossard.
Credit: Getty
Porto 0-0 Arsenal
68. Porto have a horrendous record in North London.
Whether that plays on the mind of the manager as the game goes on will remain to be seen.
They will have wanted some sort of a lead to take to The Emirates.
Porto 0-0 Arsenal
66. Another big chance for Porto goes begging.
As Pepe does well getting to the byline he cuts it back to Evanilson.
Just as he looks to pull the trigger, Rice gets a foot in the deflect the ball wide for a corner.
Porto 0-0 Arsenal
64. Still plenty of time left in this game for some action.
Not sure whether these two teams are cancelling each other out or not.
Saka comes forward down the right but Wendell cuts out the pass.
Porto 0-0 Arsenal
62. Porto come forward and are looking dangerous but lose the ball.
Martinelli cuts inside towards goal but is too easily dispossessed.
Sums up the evening for The Gunners’ attack.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
