Kuranyi puts Porto to the sword

GERMANY striker Kevin Kuranyi fired his side a step closer to a Champions League quarter-final berth as his early goal was enough to seal a 1-0 first-leg win over FC Porto last night.

Kuranyi’s strike — which came as early as the fourth minute — handed the Royal Blues the initiative ahead of the return match on March 5 at the imposing 50,000-seater Estadio do Dragao.

For Porto, it was to be no fairytale return to the Veltins Arena — the scene of their 2004 Champions League triumph when they beat Monaco 3-0 — as Schalke’s Rafinha had his shot saved, but the rebound fell into Kuranyi’s path to fire home.

The Portuguese league leaders came into the game on the back of a 3-0 win at Maritimo last weekend, having conceded only seven goals all season, but failed to break Schalke’s defensive stranglehold.

In contrast, Schalke suffered a shock when they were humbled 2-1 at home to VfL Wolfsburg last Friday night which cost them third place in the German league and left coach Mirko Slomka far from happy.

But Slomka was all smiles at the final whistle as his side gave themselves a fighting chance for the return leg on the Algarve.

It was an even first half with both sides playing attacking football and Porto’s Lisandro Lopez had the best chance to put his side level when he forced Schalke ‘keeper Manuel Neuer into a diving save on 25 minutes.

At the other end, both Kuranyi and Ivan Rakitic troubled Porto’s Brazilian shot-stopper Helton.

Schalke midfielder Jermaine Jones picked up a yellow card for a foul on Lucho Gonzalez just before the break.

Early in the second half, Gonzalez and Lisandro had shots on goal as the guests created more chances than their Bundesliga rivals.

But with the home crowd willing their team to victory, Schalke never took a backward step as midfielder Fabian Ernst earned himself a yellow card for a foul on Raul Meireles just after the hour mark.

Porto’s best chance came in the 79th minute when Ricardo Quaresma slid a pass into Argentinian striker Lisandro Lopez in the six-yard box but — with the goal at his mercy — the ball flew off his boot and wide.

But Schalke, who won the UEFA Cup in 1997, hung on with the same resolute defence which saw them concede only four goals in their Champions League Pool B and travel to Portugal with all to play for.