The Under19 team took an important step towards to the qualification to the next stage of the UEFA Youth League, after beating Lokomotiv Moscow (2-1), this Tuesday afternoon, at the Centro de Treinos do Olival. The goals scored by Levi Faustino and João Mário, both scored in the second-half, allowed the young Dragons to recover the lead of Group D, now with seven points, the same as the team from Moscow.

The Russian team started better, with more shots, succeeding in stealing the ball and the initiative from FC Porto, with the best goal opportunity in the first-half coming ten minutes in. However, Suleimanov was unable to beat Francisco Meixedo from the penalty spot. The second penalty defended by the blue and white goalkeeper in 2018/19 - the first was against Leixões, for the championship, late in October - allowed the Dragons to gain momentum, improve, and get to the opposing goal more often, even if not truly threatening Botnar.

The second-half pretty much started with the team led by Mário Silva opening the scoreboard: after a direct free-kick taken on the right by Paulo Estrela, Levi Faustino made it count and scored his second goal in the season (49m). Lokomotiv tried to come back, but FC Porto increased the advantage ten minutes later, with João Mário scoring after a pass from Fábio Silva (61m).

On minute 90, when it seemed the match was about to end, the Russian team was able to score, from a free-kick finished by Lapshov (90m), setting the final score, with, interestingly, the same result from two weeks ago, in Moscow.

“There were definitely differences between the first and the second-half. After the break, we changed our attitude and played with a tranquillity we lacked in the first-half, when we were too hasty, perhaps because of the match in Russia. I always told the players to be confident, that we were the better team, and we proved that in the second-half, despite facing a team that is hard to beat, with a very physical and direct style”, Mário Silva stated after the match, talking to Porto Canal.

MATCH REPORT

FC PORTO-LOKOMOTIV MOSCOVO, 2-1
UEFA Youth League, Grupo D, matchday 4
November 6, 2018
CTFD PortoGaia

Referee: Robert Hennessy (Republic of Ireland)
Assistant referees: Darragh Keegan and Eoin Michael Harte (Republic of Ireland)
Fourth official: João Gonçalves (Portugal)

FC PORTO: Francisco Meixedo (g.k.), Tiago Matos, Pedro Justiniano, Levi Faustino, Diogo Bessa, Paulo Estrela (cap.), Boris Enow, Romário Baró, João Mário, Angel Yesid and Fábio Silva

Substitutions: Romário Baró for Vítor Ferreira (46m), João Mário for Rodrigo Valente (68m), Angel Yesid for Gonçalo Borges (76m), Fábio Silva for Juan Perea (85m)
Not used: Carlos Peixoto (g.k.), Tomás Esteves and Cláudio Silva
Coach: Mário Silva

LOKOMOTIV: Botnar (g.k.), Magkeev, Titkov, Lapshov (cap.), Poyarkov, Petrov, Cherny, Karapuzov, Tsallagov and Suleimanov
Substitutions: Tsallagov for Iosifov (56m), Giurdzhan for Sharkov (58m), Titkov for Kul (80m)
Not used: Kraikov (g.k.), Sukharev, Koltiapin and Chernyakov
Coach: Aleksandr Katasonov

At halftime: 0-0

Scorers: Levi Faustino (49m), João Mário (61m) and Lapshov (90m)
Bookings: yellow card to Angel Yesid (9m), Levi (19m), Lapshov (28m), Paulo Estrela (35m), Poyarkov (87m), Tiago Matos (89m), Suleimanov (90m+1), Petrov (90m+2)