Naldo goes for it but Casillas gets to the ball first with a safe pair of hands.
90' +2
Maxi Pereira gives away a free-kick on the left-hand side. This is the perfect distance for a cross. Can Caliguiri make it count?
90' +1
The referee indicates an additional four minutes at the end of regulation for stoppages. Will there be a late twist in the tale?
90'
Hernâni enters the game and replaces Otávio.
Hernani comes on after some confusion on the touchline and replaces Otavio whose goal levelled matters.
88'
Caligiuri finds Sane with the delivery but he is unable to direct his effort goalwards under pressure from Felipe.
86'
H. Herrera gets yellow.
Schalke win a free-kick after Herrera jumps into a sliding challenge on Caligiuri on the right. This could be an opportunity to take the lead with less than five minutes remaining.
84'
A. Harit enters the game and replaces S. Serdar.
Suat Serdar – who was cautioned in this match, is removed to avoid another booking. Amine Harit is his replacement.
82'
Sérgio Oliveira enters the game and replaces Y. Brahimi.
Yacine Brahimi will play no further part in this match. Sergio Oliveira is on in his place.
80'
Porto won the most recent clash with Schalke, 1-0 in the second leg of their last 16 tie of the Champions League in 2007/08, however the German side did knock Porto out 4-1 on penalties following a 1-1 draw on aggregate.
Minute
Description
78'
J. Corona gets yellow.
Jesus Corona is shown a yellow card for a bad tackle on Serdar.
75'
Penalty goal scored by Otávio for Porto!
THIS TIME THERE IS NO MISTAKE! Otavio makes it 1-1 as he sends Fahrmann the wrong way and curls it into the bottom-left corner of the goal. It is level again with 15 minutes left on the clock.
74'
IT’S ANOTHER PENALTY FOR PORTO! It’s Marega who was tripped in the penalty area, and there is some doubt as to whether or not Naldo made contact with the striker in the box. Either way – the referee has given it, and its Naldo’s second penalty conceded this evening!
72'
G. Burgstaller enters the game and replaces B. Embolo.
Goalscorer Breel Embolo is removed with 18 minutes remaining. Guido Burgstaller will see the rest of the match out.
69'
Play is stopped as Serdar is down receiving treatment for an unfortunate knock picked up when volleying a ball in midfield. He doesn’t seem likely to continue as his team-mates are flagging to the sideline for a stretcher.
67'
Embolo gets into a physical duel with Militao near the right-hand corner flag in Porto’s half, but the defender gets the job done and wins the ball back.
65'
Y. Konoplanka enters the game and replaces M. Uth.
Domenico Tedesco makes his first change of the match immediately after the restart of play, with Mark Uth removed in favour of Yevhen Konoplyanka.
64'
B. Embolo has scored a goal for Schalke 04! Assist by W. McKennie.
FROM THE COUNTER-ATTACK, IT’S BREEL EMBOLO WHO PUTS SCHALKE AHEAD! 1-0 to the home side after Bentaleb wins possession near his own penalty area and lumps it forward for Serdar. Serdar manages to keep the ball despite two defenders in his face and slips it through for McKennie who breaks into the penalty area and makes the easy pass for Embolo across the face of goal. From there, it’s a simple finish for the striker!
Very unselfish assist from Weston McKennie who shows great awareness in slipping the ball across for Embolo to finish.
61'
Casillas takes a very poor goal-kick and gifts it to Schalke in midfield, but Embolo is pushed off the ball and the attack breaks down. The home players protest the lack of free-kick for the challenge, but the referee once again fails to entertain the complaints.
60'
J. Corona enters the game and replaces V. Aboubakar.
Vincent Aboubakar is done on the hour mark, with Jesus Corona his replacement.
59'
Caligiuri puts it right in the centre of the penalty area, but the Porto defenders do well to crowd out the Schalke shirts and send the ball away from the box.
58'
Otavio is called for a foul on Schopf – which gives Schalke another chance to trouble Porto’s goalkeeper from a set-piece.
57'
Very smart decision by Schalke to take a long free-kick in midfield quickly to Schopf, who twists and turns his way into the penalty area before putting a very weak shot at the foot of Casillas.
55'
Serdar can’t quite turn and fire towards Casillas after showing wonderful touch to control McKennie’s long throw-in. The home side do win a corner, however, which is taken by Caligiuri and defended without trouble.
53'
M. Uth gets yellow.
All eyes on the referee at the VELTINS-Arena as the referee fails to give Schalke a free-kick near the Porto penalty area for a foul on Mark Uth, who is then shown a yellow card for his absolutely vehement protest at today’s match official – Jesus Gil.
51'
Embolo is once again the subject of a challenge, this time Militao gets his legs tangled up with the Schalke striker. The away side are doing a good job of marking Embolo out of the game, though often times it's through quite physical means.
49'
Telles whips the ball to the back post where Marega gets to it to keep it in play, but the referee blows for a Schalke free-kick Nastasic is down in some discomfort.
48'
Lovely training ground set-piece as Telles plays the ball low and through to Otavio who cuts it back dangerously. Fahrmann makes the save – though it looks like he knew absolutely nothing about the delivery. Sometimes, it’s best to be lucky, and the Schalke captain certainly has been this evening.
Porto win a second free-kick in moments, in the exact same position. This time, Serdar takes down Danilo Pereira.
47'
Nastasic leaves a leg trailing which trips up Otavio who earns his side a free-kick in a dangerous position on the right.
46'
Schalke get the second half underway!
45' +1
HALF TIME: SCHALKE 0-0 PORTO.
45'
Maxi Pereira crosses the ball into the box for Marega at the far post, but the cross is wayward and Fahrmann can take a goal-kick which will surely end the half.
44'
Porto are pushing forward in the knowledge that the first half is almost up. A goal here would really lift their spirits heading into half time, but that doesn’t look a real possibility.
42'
Schalke are holding possession and recycling it in defence before launching it forward for Caligiuri who can’t bring it down under pressure from Telles. Porto win a throw-in with three minutes left in the half.
40'
Naldo is also present for Caligiuri’s second attempt but puts his chance over the bar while also clashing heads with Militao – the latter coming off much worse in the challenge it seems. He will be okay to continue, but it is a head injury – so it will be closely monitored.
38'
Caligiuri puts his effort on the penalty spot, once again looking for Naldo but it’s cleared away, but only to a Schalke player at the top of the penalty area who wins his side a second set-piece.
37'
Schopf gets free and puts a curling cross in from the right which takes a touch off of Militao and goes behind for yet another Schalke corner.
35'
Uth is once again called for offside on the right after receiving a long hanging ball from the right-hand side. He is getting into great positions, but he is thoroughly unable to keep in-line with the Porto defence.
31'
Serdar goes in through the back of Danilo Pereira and gives away a free-kick in front of Porto’s own penalty area. This gives Casillas an opportunity to clear his lines and push Schalke back once again after a steady build-up in the preceding moments.
29'
Brahimi is called for a foul after a number of challenges on Serdar. There’s a bit more needle in this match now, and an increase in tempo as McKennie is the latest to fall to the floor after a challenge with Marega.
27'
B. Embolo gets yellow.
Breel Embolo is shown the first yellow card of the match for a rash challenge on Telles who is incensed. It was a needless sliding challenge which got nowhere near the ball. Perhaps a bit of frustration from the striker who himself has been fouled on a number of occasions this evening.
25'
Brahimi frees Telles down the left but the full-back’s delivery is poor and misses all its intended targets. It’s been a first half with little opportunity in front of goal and a distinct lack of service.
23'
Caligiuri’s set-piece is rather lacklustre and cleared immediately by Porto, though it’s returned to the hosts deep in their territory.
22'
McKennie drives down the right and brings the ball down in mid-air before cutting inside and curling an effort which would have gone into the far corner had it not been blocked and put out for a corner which Caligiuri will take.
21'
Incredibly, today marks the 20th year of participation in the Champions League for Iker Casillas who starts tonight in the Porto goal. It’s a wonderful sign of longevity and talent that he has remained at Europe’s elite level for two decades - a feat no other player has achieved.
19'
Caliguiri sends a free-kick into the penalty area and Naldo meets it with his head but directs his chance over Casillas’ crossbar for a goal-kick, despite Schalke asking for a corner.
17'
Otavio plays a lovely one-two with Aboubakar and gets into the penalty area but the winger loses the ball at the last second. Danilo Pereira jumps on possession and has a quick strike at goal, but it sails right of the net.
15'
The ball is played forward for Uth who looks to capitalise on the post-penalty confusion gets into the penalty area but the linesman raises his flag, as the striker did not keep onside.
13'
Penalty saved by R. Fährmann!
While Alex Telles' strike may not have been taken with much confidence, the save by Ralf Fahrmann was full of vigour as the keeper uses a very strong palm to block the ball from getting past him. A huge contribution by the goalkeeper with less than 15 minutes played!
ALEX TELLES CAN'T BREAK THE DEADLOCK! It wasn't struck very convincingly, low and to the left, but Fahrmann guesses the right way and makes the stop to keep the sides level!
11'
Telles throws the ball into the penalty area and the referee blows his whistle for a penalty! There did not seem to be a single person on the pitch who put in an appeal, but replays suggest that the throw-in did strike Naldo on the hand! Well – Porto have been given a great opportunity to take the lead!
10'
Embolo is once again brought down – this time by Felipe – at roughly the same place on the pitch. The Porto defence really seem preoccupied with limiting Embolo’s space to run, as there is always a man-marker in front of the striker when he receives possession.
8'
Porto win a free-kick as Serdar is fouled for leaving a leg in on Telles while the left-back blasts the ball up the field. The away side take the set-piece short but it ends up with Fahrmann after Otavio is unable to keep the ball in play.
6'
Play is stopped momentarily as Embolo takes some time to get to his feet after the challenge with Militao which left him on the turf. He isn’t requiring any assistance, but he looks to be slightly limping as he rises to his feet. That’s not a positive sign for Tedesco.
5'
Embolo gets past the halfway line but finds himself short of options and is bowled over by Militao who takes possession.
3'
Casillas punches away a long throw-in from McKennie and gifts Schalke a corner. Caligiuri takes the set-piece but it’s defended well and headed clear by a Porto defender.
1'
The atmosphere is electric in the VELTINS-Arena as Porto get the match underway from the kick-off.
Good evening and welcome to our LIVE Champions League commentary of the Group D fixture between Schalke and Porto from the VELTINS-Arena in Gelsenkirchen!
Manager Domenico Tedesco will be hoping the Champions League sparks their season into life, with Die Knappen losing their first three matches in the Bundesliga by a combined score of 6-2. It doesn’t get any easier domestically for the home side, who get to host incumbent champions Bayern Munich on Saturday.
Gelsenkirchen is a storied place for Porto and its fans, as their 2004 Champions League victory over Monaco – orchestrated by then manager Jose Mourinho - occurred at the very stadium they play at today. Now managed by ex-player Sergio Conceicao, Porto will be looking for a similarly positive result to begin their 33rd campaign in Europe's highest tournament.
Schalke Starting XI (3-4-3): Ralf Fahrmann; Matija Nastasic, Naldo, Salif Sane; Weston McKennie, Nabil Bentaleb, Suat Serdar, Daniel Caligiuri; Mark Uth, Breel Embolo, Alessandro Schopf.
With 15 minutes to go before kick-off, it's time we took a look at how the two sides will be lining up tonight! Let's start with the home side.
Porto Substitutes: Sergio Oliveira, Hernani, Oliver Torres, Chidozie Awaziem, Jesus Manuel Corona, Adrian Lopez, Vana Alves.
Porto Starting XI (4-4-2): Iker Casillas; Maxi Pereira, Felipe, Eder Militao, Alex Telles; Otavio, Danilo Pereira, Hector Herrera, Yacine Brahimi; Vincent Aboubakar, Moussa Marega.
Schalke Substitutes: Franco Di Santo, Guido Burgstaller, Yevhen Konoplyanka, Sebastian Rudy, Alexander Nubel, Hamza Mendyl, Amine Harit.
It’s a long-awaited return to Europe’s elite competition for Schalke, who have not made the Champions League since the 2014-15 season. Group D is a challenging one, as all four sides seem relatively even. It’s anybody’s guess who will qualify between Schalke, Porto, Galatasaray and Lokomotiv Moskva.
The visitors began their season in strong fashion, beating Desportivo Aves in the Portuguese Super Cup before smashing Chaves 5-0 and beating Belenenses 3-2 in the Primeira Liga. Since then, they are 1-1-1 in all competitions after drawing in Friday’s Taca da Liga fixture with Chaves.
Domenico Tedesco makes four changes from the side that lost 2-1 away to Borussia Monchengladbach last weekend. Weston McKennie replaces Hamza Mendyl on the left wing while it’s Serdar who partners Bentaleb in central midfield – not Rudy. In attack, Mark Uth remains but it will be Embolo and Schopf who play alongside him instead of Di Santo and Burgstaller who drop to the bench.
Sergio Conceicao makes a raft of changes from the XI that drew 1-1 with Chaves in the Taca da Liga. Casillas returns in goal, while Diogo Leite and Joao Pedro are replaced by Eder Militao and Maxi Pereira in defence. In midfield, Jesus Corona makes way on the left wing for Yacine Brahimi, while Adrian drops to the bench in attack for Aboubakar who partners Marega.
Both sides are very much alive in this contest as Schalke and Porto both failed to assert any real dominance. Though Tedesco’s XI seemed to venture forward a little more towards the end of the first period, Casillas was never truly tested. Substitutions and set-pieces will surely play a large role after the restart – as legs begin to grow tired.
It’s been a relatively quiet half in terms of goal-mouth action, as neither side has troubled the opposing goalkeeper on a real or consistent basis. Porto looked to be in prime position to go a goal ahead after an early penalty thanks to a Naldo handball, but it was not to be as Alex Telles saw his penalty saved by Ralf Fahrmann. The intensity and tempo did pick up later on in the half after a number of challenges from both sides – but unfortunately, the quality did not.
Both sides could feel as though they deserved the three points, with Porto’s early missed penalty certainly frustrating Sergio Conceicao. Domenico Tedesco’s anger was apparent in the technical area towards the end of the match as his side failed to hold their lead for the final 20 minutes – especially difficult to take considering they were the home side.
Schalke will look to build on this result as they host Bayern Munich on Saturday in the Bundesliga, while Porto play away in the Primeira Liga against Vitoria Setubal.
That concludes our coverage of the Champions League fixture between Schalke and Porto from the Veltins-Arena. We hope you enjoyed our commentary and we look forward to seeing you all again!
Schalke’s go-ahead goal through Breel Embolo 64 minutes into the match was not enough to give the hosts all three points, as Porto avenged their first-half miss from the penalty spot with a confidently taken second effort after Naldo’s trip on Marega earned the visitors another try. It was not a match of the highest quality, with both sides unable to put their opponent under sustained pressure and a draw is probably the fair result.
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