PORTO starting XI (3-4-3): Costa, Djalò, N. Perez, Otavio (subbed for Namaso), Joao Mario, Eustaquio, Varela (subbed for Vieira), Moura (subbed for Zaidu), Borges, Samu (subbed for Gul), Mora (subbed for Pepe)
Bench: Ramos, Marcano, Gomes, Sousa, Franco, T. Perez, Pedro
Goals: Moura 67’
ROMA starting XI (3-4-2-1): Svilar, Celik, Mancini, N’Dicka, Saelemaekers (subbed for El Shaarawy), Koné (subbed for Pisilli), Cristante, Angelino, Dybala (subbed for Baldanzi), Pellegrini (subbed for Soulé), Dovbyk (subbed for Paredes)
Bench: De Marzi, Gollini, Abdulhamid, Shomurodov, Hummels, Nelsson, Sangaré
Goals: Celik 45+5’
Red card: Cristante 72’
The home side enjoyed 57 per cent possession and created nine chances to Roma’s 11. Four of Roma’s shots were on target, twice that of inaccurate Porto.
The visitors took the lead in the fifth minute of first half added time when Zeki Celik smashed in the aftermath of a poor clearance by the Porto defence from close range.
Porto levelled in the 67th minute when Francisco Moura finished off a move that started from the goalkeeper. Roma, who had just missed a shot, were caught on the counter by Porto keeper Diogo Costa who took his goal kick immediately. Pepe drove forward with the ball and attempted to take two Roma players on in the box. Tommasso Baldanzi was able to get a toe to the ball, but in doing so teed up Moura for the shot.
Five minutes later, Brian Cristante was shown a second yellow card for a cynical foul on Fabio Vieira.
Despite playing a man down for 23 minutes, Roma clung on for a valuable draw. The two sides will play the second leg at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome on February 21 (AEDT).
