Match Report: Porto v Braga

Two late goals weren’t enough for Braga as Porto clinched a crucial 3-2 win at Estádio do Dragão thanks to a double from Hulk and one from Kléber.

The game was an open one and the visitors perhaps shaded the opening half hour, creating the better chances, but it’s no lie that goals change games and that’s what happened in the 37^th minute. An inviting James Rodríguez cross was met by Hulk whose header flew over and beyond advancing Braga keeper Quim and into the net.

From then on it was Porto who were in the ascendency, and shortly after the goal it was only good awareness from Quim that prevented a possible second; the Portuguese veteran racing out of his box and performing sweeping duties after a ball in behind left his defence struggling. Earlier he had also denied Hulk with his feet after the Brazilian cut inside from the right channel and fired in a low shot.

However, Braga had chances too, usually with Alan as the inspiration. In the 16^th minute he carved open the Porto backline with a pass that sent Lima racing through but his fellow Brazilian dragged his shot wide from outside the area.

Moments later Alan sent in a teasing low cross from the right but Maicon did well to make a vital interception at the back post.

Around ten minutes later Alan, again, sent over an excellent low ball from the right but the sliding Lima couldn’t get a decent enough connection on it and the ball looped over.

Porto began the second half in relative control and in the 57^th minute good defending from last man Paulo Vinícius denied James a chance on goal. About five minutes later a Maicon header brought out a decent save from Quim but the assistant’s flag was raised anyway. Shortly afterwards Quim again saved a close range header, this time after Cristian Rodríguez connected with fellow substitute Souza’s cross from the left.

Alan, so influential in the first, had faded into the periphery in the second half but he popped up in the 72^nd minute to produce a good save from Helton after the ball had been worked to him on the right following some good combination play down the left flank between Paulo Vinícius and Hélder Barbosa, who had just replaced Paulo César.

However, Porto appeared to have sealed the game in a four minute double salvo beginning with a fantastic strike from Hulk in the 78^th minute. João Moutinho in possession on the right played the ball inside to Hulk, slightly right of centre, outside the area, and the forward swiftly bent his shot high into the far side of the goal, sailing beyond the outstretched Quim. It was a great goal and the Dragão erupted in appreciation.

Hulk was involved in Porto’s third as well – but not before the offside flag denied him a hat trick – and this time he was the creator; bursting into the area on the right towards the byline, he cut the ball back to provide Kléber with a relatively straight forward finish.

There was drama yet in this match though and Hulk once again played a central role. The 25 year old, tracking back inside his own penalty area, brought down Braga right back Leandro Salino in an ill judged challenge from behind in the 89^th minute, resulting in a penalty and a yellow card. Lima confidently dispatched the penalty.

In the first minute of additional time Lima scored again, sweeping a Paulo Vinícius cutback in first time from just inside the area after Alan’s neat pass had released the full back.

However it was too little too late for Braga as Porto saw the match out to see the final score mirror that in last season’s corresponding fixture. The result sees Porto remain level on points with Benfica who beat Sporting 1-0 yesterday at Estádio da Luz in the Lisbon derby. Sporting lose ground and are now four points behind the leaders, with Marítimo one point behind after their 2-2 draw at Nacional.