Champions League / FC Porto 2 Olympique Lyon 0: Strikes in either half from Deco and Ricardo Carvalho gave FC Porto a two-goal cushion to take to France for the second leg of their UEFA Champions League quarter-final against Olympique Lyonnais in two weeks' time.
Deco gave the Portuguese champions the lead in the 44th minute before Ricardo Carvalho headed a second with 19 minutes remaining to leave José Mourinho's side well-placed to reach the semi-finals of this competition for the first time in 10 years.
With influential captain Jorge Costa ruled out due to a thigh injury, Pedro Emanuel came into the centre of the Porto defence. Edgaras Jankausakas started on the bench despite scoring a hat-trick against SC Braga in a Portuguese Cup semi-final last week, meaning Carlos Alberto partnered Benni McCarthy up front. Giovane Elber led the Lyon attack, with Sidney Govou replacing Vikash Dhorasoo.
Both sides began positively, with Carlos Alberto shooting just wide in the third minute and it was the home side who seemed the more likely scorers in the early exchanges, with McCarthy volleying Maniche's perceptive through-ball wide.
Porto pressed Lyon back inside their penalty area before the French champions rallied and Elber's shot forced Porto goalkeeper Vitor Baia into action. Play swung down the other end as Edmilson half-cleared Paulo Ferreira's cross and the ball fell for McCarthy, but again the South African's effort was off target.
The home team came close to taking the lead in bizarre fashion on the half-hour. Deco curled a free-kick towards goal but no one made contact, forcing Lyon goalkeeper Grégory Coupet to scamper to turn the ball behind.
The visitors might have scored moments before half-time, as Michael Essien laid the ball into the path of Govou on the edge of the penalty area and the striker's deflected effort spun wide.
Porto opened the scoring when McCarthy met Carlos Alberto's right-wing cross with a powerful volley across the face of goal, and Deco was perfectly placed to deflect the ball into the net.
Having fallen behind, the visitors suffered a further blow as Juninho Pernambucano was forced off at the interval through injury, with Dhorasoo replacing the Brazilian playmaker.
Porto began the second half with renewed impetus, and Coupet was almost caught out by Nuno Valente's cross before McCarthy headed Deco's centre over the crossbar. Luyindula forced Vitor Baia into action twice before the French international missed another opportunity to score an away goal. Essien broke down the right and found the striker at the far post, but Luyindula sliced his shot wide.
The striker was made to pay for his profligacy in the 71st minute, as Jankauskas won a free-kick and Deco's cross was met by Ricardo Carvalho, whose downward header left Coupet helpless. It might have been even better for the home side, as Coupet scrambled away McCarthy's long-range strike with his feet before saving Ricardo Fernandes's free-kick.
The Portuguese champions will still be confident of holding on at the Stade Gerland on April 7th, however.
FC PORTO: Baia, Emanuel, Carvalho, Valente, Ferreira, Costinha (Bosingwa 78), Deco, Maniche, Alberto (Jankauskas 58), Alenitchev (Fernandes 82), McCarthy. Subs Not Used: Nuno, Secretario, Silva, Peixoto. Booked: Valente, Bosingwa. Goals: Deco 44, Carvalho 71.
OLYMPIQUE LYON: Coupet, Deflandre (Reveillere 74), Edmilson, Essien, Diarra, Juninho (Dhorasoo 46), Malouda, Muller, Govou, Luyindula, Elber. Subs Not Used: Vercoutre, Berthod, Gomez, Carriere, Bergougnoux. Booked: Malouda, Muller.
Referee: Terje Hauge (Norway).
