Source: Telegraph
Porto v Arsenal: Champions League live
HALF-TIME: Porto 1-1 Arsenal (Varela '11. Campbell '18). [LNB]HT: Pretty decent recovery there from Arsenal considering that horror start. Porto have enough pace and flair to trouble any defence given enough possession, and Arsenal weren't able to stop the supply to their front three in the early stages. However, it took the dopiest of errors from Fabianski to gift Porto the lead, so Arsenal will know that they can hold out against this Porto side providing they cut out the errors. [LNB] Related ArticlesBayern v Fiorentina: liveWigan v Bolton: liveFC Porto v Arsenal: match previewWenger stresses importance of defenceArshavin and Gallas miss Porto tripPorto's revolving door policy to put Arsenal in a spinBit of afters on the whistle as Arsenal's players took exception to a late tackle by Micael on Fabregas. Sore one for the Arsenal captain, who was caught late and high from behind. [LNB]From Henry Winter in Porto: "Ruben Micael shoud be off. Disgraceful late challenge on Fabregas. Ref ignored it but then he missed Henry's Paris hand-ball. Kicking off."[LNB]45 min: The Porto crowd are getting on Hulk's back. His runs appear dangerous but he's been fairly oblivious to his team-mates, and from the jeers of the crowd, it seems that's a recurring theme. [LNB]44 min: Arsenal's free-kick on the right is wasted by Diaby and leads to a Falcao break but Campbell, who's been excellent so far, defends brilliantly. If he can maintain this performance throughout, then he will have gone a long way to justifying Wenger's faith in him in just one evening. [LNB]41 min: Clichy gifts an opportunity to Porto with a slack pass. Meireles picks out a Falcao with a cute inside pass but Campbell dumps his sizeable frame between ball and defender and allows Fabianski to come off his line and smother the ball. [LNB]38 min: Superb atheltic save from Helton pushes Bendtner's header over the bar. Whipped in free-kick from Fabregas and Bendtner back-header was creeping under the bar but Helton, back-pedalling, manages to palm it over. [LNB]35 min: Great feet from Varela who's switched onto the left flank for now. Arsenal are fortunate as Fabregas deflects the ball behind for a corner but gets away with one. [LNB]33 min: Arsenal finally enjoy a spell out of their own half. Fabregas's free-kick is headed clear, and Alves picks up a yellow card for a hefty tackle on Diaby. [LNB]31 min: Another muscular run from Hulk brushes off the challenge of Sagna but it comes to nothing, this time. Hulk is doing to Arsenal's defenders what Didier Drogba's done on more than one occasion. [LNB]28 min: Fabianski's forced into another full-length side as Pereira takes aim from 25 yards. It's a decent hit but a ncie hit for the goalkeeper, who manages to beat it away without too much conviction. [LNB]24 min: Hulk tries his luck with a left-foot free-kick, but it's an ordinary one, saved easily by Fabianski. Incredibly open game and Porto's three-man attack - Hulk, Falcao and Varela - are full of variety, pace and menace. [LNB]21 min: Vermaelen hoofs clear after the rapid Varela beats Clichy again. Who said these first legs were cagey? [LNB]18 min: GOAL! Porto 1-1 Arsenal (Campbell '18). Campbell equalises for Arsenal! That's two goals in his last two Champions League games (separated by five years!). Great moment for Campbell and vital for Arsenal. Fabregas's corner led to the goal - flicked on by Bendtner at the near post, headed back across goal by Rosicky from the far post and Campbell was on the spot to nod it home. [LNB]14 min: Truly horrendous error from Fabianski, but Clichy - who has been hugely disappointing this season - had already been beaten once before Verela skipped by him. Seems a long time since Arsenal fans boasted about not needing Ashley Cole... [LNB]11 min: GOAL! Porto 1-0 Arsenal (Varela '11). Porto lead, and it's an absolute horror show from Fabianski. Verela, who's started brilliantly on the right flank, skips past Clichy far too easy. But his low cross looks completely harmless until Fabianski makes a monumental balls-up of his attempted catch, and the ball slips between his hands and into the net. [LNB]9 min: Bruno Alves's free-kick is straight at Fabianski and his handling's safe. Superb run from the Hulk ends when he crashes into Campbell - Hulk v Bulk - inside the area. Campbell just turned his back and raised his arms to stop Hulk, who's penalty claims are turned down, rightly. [LNB]7 min: Bendtner's started well, he's dropping off the centre-backs to pick up the ball and bring Nasri and Rosicky into play, exactly the way Wenger wants his centre-forward to play. [LNB]5 min: Incisive break from Arsenal leads to a half-chance to Fabregas, but he's a yard too slow to get his shot in. Arsenal stay on the front foot and Nasri toe pokes a shot straight at Helton. Cracking start [LNB]4 min: Worrying start for Arsenal then, with Porto full of pace on both flanks. [LNB]2 min: Arsenal under the cosh from the start. Hulk shoots wide of Fabianski's post after a swift break down the right flank isn't cleared. Porto were into the Arsenal area within seconds as Falcao beat Campbell on the left touchline but the old timer showed great pace to recover and slide in perfectly to nick the ball before Falcao could shoot. [LNB]19.44: OK, we're set. Strangely empty in the stadium, no more than two thirds full. Arsenal in their home colours, Porto in theirs too, which is blue and white. Our referee is Martin Hansson - Ireland's most popular official for his lenient reading of the handball law. [LNB]19.40: Betting update, then, before the off. Porto 5/4, Arsenal 9/4, draw 9/4. [LNB]19.35: Done your Telegraph Fantasy Football team yet? Then why are you still reading this? You've got 10 minutes - get cracking www.telegraph.co.uk/fantasyfootball[LNB]19.30: From Henry Winter in Porto: "Apparently some Arsenal fans absent as they booked flights wrong way round: booked Gatwick-Porto for Friday & Porto-Gatwick for yesterday!"[LNB]19.25: From Henry Winter in Porto: "For all his experience, this is a huge test for Sol Campbell captain against a lively Porto side." Indeed it is. And if you anyone name me another player who's played against Morecambe in League Two and Porto in the Champions League inside four months, then I'll be monumentally impressed.. [LNB]19.15: Porto are better at home than Nigella Lawson. They've not lost at the Dragao in the Superliga this season, and they were unbeaten against English opposition until last year. So how do you beat them at home? Well it helps if you've got someone who can score goals like this... over to you, Nik. [LNB]19.09: There's YouTube footage of Hulk in the tunnel. Hope Sol's not watching... [LNB]19.05: So Sol Campbell plays in Europe for Arsenal for the first time since heading them into the lead in the 2006 Champions League final. Denilson places Song, while Rosicky and Nasri will play off Bendtner with Walcott on the bench. [LNB]Hulk plays, despite his domestic ban for a bust-up in the tunnel with Benfica's stewards. Poor stewards... [LNB]19.00: OK, teams are in... [LNB]Porto: 1-Helton; 13-Fucile, 14-Rolando, 2-Bruno Alves, 15-Alvaro Pereira; 28-Ruben Micael, 25-Fernando, 3-Raul Meireles; 17-Silvestre Varela, 9-Falcao, 12-Hulk. [LNB]Arsenal: 21-Lukasz Fabianski; 3-Bacary Sagna, 31-Sol Campbell, 5-Thomas Vermaelen, 22-Gael Clichy; 2-Abou Diaby, 15-Denilson, 4-Cesc Fabregas; 7-Tomas Rosicky, 52-Nicklas Bendtner, 8-Samir Nasri. [LNB]18.00: Arsenal face Porto in the Estadio Do Dragao tonight, looking to continue their outstandingly consistent Champions League record of reaching the last 16 for the past 10 years. [LNB]Can they do it? Injuries haven't helped, but with Nik Bendtner, Sol Campbell and Abou Diaby in the side, at least Arsenal finally have some tall players out on the pitch. At times this season, it's seemed as if Wenger's wilfully ignored any player tall enough to ride a themepark rollercoaster. [LNB]William Gallas has been replaced by Sol Campbell, whose job it'll be to contain Hulk (as well as towering over him and making him feel less Hulk-like) [LNB]Wenger has been in bombastic mood this week, comparing Bendtner with Thierry Henry and likening Lukasz Fabianski to David Seaman. We'll see how accurate those predictions are, but in the meantime, why not register for out brilliant new Telegraph Fantasy Football game. [LNB]Two of Fantasy Football's three most popular midfielders are in action tonight. Only Cristiano Ronaldo features in more fantasy teams than Arsenal's Cesc Fabregas and Bayern's Franck Ribery, but will they be in your starting XI? Register before 7.45pm to start scoring from tonight's matches at telegraph.co.uk/fantasyfootball
