Maniche the magnificent sees Porto through

Lyon 2 Porto 2 (Porto win 4-2 on agg)

Two brilliantly taken goals by Maniche for Porto were answered by Peguy Luyindula and Giovane Elber but the Portuguese side never looked troubled.

The French side trailed 2-0 from the first leg and any hopes of emulating Monaco’s remarkable comeback against Real Madrid on Tuesday were crushed after six minutes when Maniche hammered a shot home.

Luyindula pulled a goal back for Lyon but when Maniche volleyed the ball past Gregory Coupet just after half-time, the tie was effectively over.

Elber’s last minute header merely added respectability to the scoreline.

Porto, last year’s UEFA Cup winners, become the only reigning champions of their domestic league to reach the semi-finals where they will face Deportivo La Coruna.

With virtually their first attack, Porto took the lead as the Lyon defence was caught napping.

Deco’s sublime angled pass with the outside of his boot found the unmarked Maniche who slammed a shot high into the corner of the goal.

Lyon’s fightback was immediate and seven minutes later Luyindula stabbed home the loose ball from Florent Malouda’s cross from the byeline.

Porto wrapped up their qualification with almost the first move of the second half.

Deco nonchalantly sent over a cross that Maniche, again unmarked, met with a clean volley that flew into the net before the scorer hurdled the advertising hoardings with joy.

As the match slowed and the crowd were silenced, Elber’s last-gasp header proved meaningless.

LYON: Coupet, Edmilson, Muller, Essien (Reveillere 60), Diarra, Malouda, Berthod, Dhorasoo (Deflandre 76), Elber, Luyindula, Juninho (Bergougnoux 60).

FC PORTO: Vitor Baia, Jorge Costa, Ricardo Carvalho, Nuno Valente, Paulo Ferreira, Costinha, Deco (Pedro Mendes 76), Alenitchev, Maniche, Carlos Alberto (Pedro Emanuel 47), McCarthy (Jankauskas 59).

Referee: Anders Frisk (Sweden).