Porto beat Napoli 4-1 at the Estádio do Dragão on Wednesday night, scoring three times in the final 20 minutes to end a losing run in the Champions League league phase.
The hosts had lost their previous three games in the form guide, to PSV, Betis and Manchester City. Napoli arrived having lost to Villarreal and Arsenal after beating Bodø/Glimt 4-3.
The goals that decided it
Jan Bednarek put Porto ahead on 11 minutes, with Gabri Veiga providing the assist. Napoli levelled just before the break, Scott McTominay scoring in the 43rd minute.
The game stayed level until the 71st minute, when Veiga scored from Santiago Giménez's assist. Nine minutes later Jakub Kiwior made it 3-1, set up by In-beom Hwang.
Napoli were then reduced to ten men when Rafa Marín was sent off in the 88th minute. Samu Aghehowa scored a penalty in the 90th minute to complete the scoring.
Napoli's discipline was a problem all night. Antonio Vergara was booked in the first minute, and Frank Anguissa, Amir Rrahmani and McTominay followed in the 21st, 35th and 36th minutes. Veiga, in first-half stoppage time, was Porto's only booking.
What the numbers say
Porto had the better of the match on the numbers. They had 19 shots to Napoli's 11, and eight of them were on target against six. They also had 8 shots off target to Napoli's 4, and 3 blocked shots to 1.
Possession was close, with Porto on 52% and Napoli on 48%. Corners were level at five each. Napoli committed 11 fouls to Porto's 8, and Porto were flagged offside four times to Napoli's three.
Napoli's defensive record was already the weaker of the two. Before kick-off they were conceding 2.75 goals a game, against Porto's 1.75, and neither side had kept a clean sheet. Neither did so here. Napoli have now conceded four in a game for the second time in five matches, after the 4-3 win over Bodø/Glimt.
What it means in the table
Porto began the night 26th in the 36-team league phase table with three points from four games and a goal difference of -1. Napoli were 28th, also on three points, with a goal difference of -5. Only the top eight go straight into the last 16, and ninth to 24th enter the knockout play-offs, so both started outside the play-off places.
The win gives Porto three points and moves their goal difference by three. Napoli lose the same ground the other way, and the margin leaves them with more to make up in the remaining league phase games.
MFF's match model had forecast a 2-1 Porto win. It was right about the winner but wrong about the scoreline.
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