Porto striker Mehdi Taremi clinched UEFA’s 2020-21 Goal of the Season award on Thursday for his outstanding bicycle kick against Chelsea in the Champions League.
The Iranian guided an unstoppable injury time effort into the top corner from 12 yards to clinch a 1-0 quarterfinal second leg win away to the eventual winners, but it was not enough to prevent a 2-1 aggregate defeat.
As domestic leagues across Europe enter the final weeks of their seasons, not only are league titles at stake, but qualification for next season's Champions League is also yet to be resolved.
Only 11 of the 26 automatic qualification spots for the UCL group stage have been officially determined, and more than half of the 55 playoff spots are up for grabs.
With so many bids up for grabs across the continent, tracking the qualification process can be very difficult.
Porto scored the goal of the competition during Tuesday’s UEFA Champions League quarterfinal second leg. If you’re looking for the other Chelsea vs. Porto highlights, I’m afraid to tell you that there isn’t much to see.
The Blues advanced to their first Champions League semifinal in seven years despite Porto winning 1-0 on the night. Chelsea advanced 2-1 on aggregate.
To provide a taste of how riveting the affair was, here’s a highlight of the first shot on target … in the 64th minute.
Mason Mount what have you done? The 22-year-old midfielder completely changed the trajectory of Chelsea’s Champions League quarterfinal against Porto with one brilliant touch, one incredible turn, one clinical finish. The Mason Mount goal vs Porto transformed a basic pass on the edge of the box into a superb opening goal to lead Chelsea to a 2-0 win on Wednesday.
One day after the 10-year anniversary of Robin van Persie’s most ignominious moment as a footballer, Porto’s Mehdi Taremi was a victim of the exact same call. Once again, keeper Wojciech Szczesny witnessed the unthinkable in a game he started, and once again his team lost a game it looked certain to win. Only this time he could blame an American, not a shocking officiating decision.
On Wednesday, Juventus began its knockout campaign in the Champions League against FC Porto, a 2-1 defeat. With some big names such as Paulo Dybala and Juan Cuadrado limited for the Bianconeri, it was a big stage for young American Weston McKennie to make his mark in the competition.
There was a thought — an expectation even — that Cristiano Ronaldo would return to Portugal and put on a show in his home country. Juventus, the only Italian champion in the last 10 years, would be expected to take care of business against a club from outside of Europe’s top five leagues. After all, the last time Ronaldo played Porto, he scored a goal that won him a Puskás Award.
But Porto does not care for your expectations. Porto has its own plans in the Champions League.
The Primeira Liga in Portugal produced one of the worst offside calls ever on Sunday in the final minutes of a crucial game between Porto and Braga.
The game between the league’s second and third-placed clubs went down to the wire with Braga mounting a late comeback after trailing 2-0.
Braga scored its first goal against 10-man Porto in the 87th minute. Mexican star Jesús Corona was sent off in the 60th minute.
Braga was on the attack again in the 90th minute when a bizarre offside call stopped play and made the club’s players and coaching staff lose their minds.
With Super Bowl Sunday approaching and the UEFA Champions League knockout stage just around the corner, it's time to make a definitive comparison of two of the most popular sporting competitions in the world.
Using advanced analysis, statistical comparison and cross-sport know-how, we will determine once and for all which competition is more difficult to win: the UEFA Champions League or the National Football League's Super Bowl.