10-man Deportivo keep Porto at bay

Porto 0 Deportivo La Coruna 0

Porto and 10-man Deportivo La Coruna played out a tense goalless draw in Portugal in the Champions League semi-final first leg, which sets up an intriguing return game in the Riazor in two weeks time.

It was a match dominated by the hosts against Depor, who had Jorge Andrade sent off with five minutes remaining but Porto could only produce a Maniche shot that hit the crossbar and a glancing header from Edgaras Jankauskas that flew narrowly wide.

It was mission accomplished for Deportivo, who will be relishing the game in their home stadium, where they beat last season’s winners AC Milan 4-0 in the quarter-finals to overturn a 4-1 deficit from the first leg.

With Porto boss Jose Mourinho insisting his side would not be chasing a big lead, the hosts had the better of the first half, although the visitors did threaten on the counter-attack.

Walter Pandiani had the first effort on goal after nine minutes, his stabbed shot flying high and wide after Manuel Pablo’s through ball as the Uruguayan striker failed to add to his six goals in the competition this season.

Initially Porto were struggling to get the ball to their main playmaker Deco, but as the evening wore on they established more of a foothold in the game, although they were largely restricted to long-range efforts.

Maniche and Deco saw efforts from the edge of the area fly high and wide. The closest the Portuguese champions came to breaking the deadlock in the first half was actually via a Deportivo player. Carlos Alberto beat his man and got to the byline but his sharp cross was deflected onto the bar off defender Nourredine Naybet’s knee.

And that was largely it for the opening period, apart from a nasty ankle injury to Albert Luque, which saw him stretched off and replaced by Fran.

Mourinho made a double change at half-time, bringing on Jankauskas and Pedro Mendes for Dmitri Alenichev and Costinha to try to add extra physical presence to a forward line that had failed to make a real impression.

The tension spilled over into the second half and the frustration continued as neither side were able to create chances.

Midfielder Maniche, who scored twice at Lyon in the quarter-finals, looped a shot over Deportivo goalkeeper Jose Molina but his effort came back off the bar with striker Jankauskas failing to make contact on the follow-up.

It was a marvellous effort with Molina not actually that far off his line, and easily the most skilful moment of a stop-start encounter.

Porto had won their previous four matches at home in the Champions League but were finding their Spanish visitors much harder to break down than the likes of Manchester United and Lyon.

They spent most of the second half camped in the Deportivo half and again went close with nine minutes remaining, Deco’s venomous free-kick from the right finding the head of Jankauskas, but the Lithuanian striker could only glance his header wide of the far post after beating Andrade to the ball.

Andrade was only on the field for another couple of minutes. After fouling Deco, the Portuguese defender kicked out at his international team-mate and was shown a straight red card by German referee Markus Merk in the 87th minute, leaving his side to play the remaining few minutes with 10 men.

Porto had a loud claim for a penalty turned down in injury time when Marco Ferreira seemed to be brought down by Mauro Silva, but Merk saw it differently and booked the striker for diving.

It ended a frustrating night for the home side.