FC Porto turned a finely balanced Champions League fixture into an emphatic 4-1 victory over Napoli on Wednesday, striking three times from the 71st minute at the Estádio do Dragão.
Jan Bednarek headed Porto ahead in the 11th minute, but Scott McTominay equalised in the 43rd to leave the sides level at half-time. Gabri Veiga restored the hosts’ advantage in the 71st minute, Jakub Kiwior added a header in the 80th, and Samu Aghehowa converted a 90th-minute penalty after Napoli had been reduced to 10 men.
McTominay cancels out Porto’s early lead
Bednarek supplied the early breakthrough with his 11th-minute header, giving Porto the ideal start to this league-phase encounter.
Napoli’s first half brought disciplinary trouble as well as a route back into the match. Antonio Vergara, Frank Anguissa, Amir Rrahmani and McTominay were all booked before the interval, but McTominay delivered the visitors’ crucial response in the 43rd minute.
His equaliser ensured Napoli went into the dressing room at 1-1, with Porto’s early advantage erased and the outcome still firmly in the balance.
Veiga breaks the deadlock before Porto pull clear
The teams remained level until the 71st minute, when Veiga put Porto back in front. It was the decisive breakthrough in a closing stretch that transformed the complexion of the match.
Kiwior then headed home in the 80th minute to make it 3-1, giving the hosts a two-goal cushion and leaving Napoli facing a steep uphill task.
The visitors’ difficult finish worsened when Rafa Marín was sent off in the 88th minute. Aghehowa added Porto’s fourth from the penalty spot in the 90th, completing a three-goal second half and putting the result beyond doubt.
Porto make their attacking edge count
Possession was relatively even, with Porto holding 51.6 per cent, but the hosts produced the greater volume of attempts: 19 shots to Napoli’s 11, including eight on target to the visitors’ six.
Those figures underline that Napoli carried a threat, yet Porto’s late finishing settled the contest decisively. What had been a level fixture at the break became a commanding home victory, with four different scorers contributing to a memorable European night at the Dragão.
Goals: FC Porto — Jan Bednarek 11’, Gabri Veiga 71’, Jakub Kiwior 80’, Samu Aghehowa 90’ (penalty). Napoli — Scott McTominay 43’.
