Espanyol 0 - Oporto 2

Espanyol: Mora; Cristóbal, Soldevilla (Serrano 75'), Pochettino, Toledo; Navas (Toni Velamazán 61'), Galca, Sergio, Arteaga; Martín Posse (Oscar 61'), Tamudo. 4-4-2.

Goals:
0-1. 47. Drulovic. Took ball round Soldevilla and curled into corner of net.
0-2. 71. Pena. Took pass on edge of area and drilled ball past keeper.

Espanyol's worst fears were realized and they were all but eliminated in this first leg match in the Montjuic stadium in Barcelona. The day before the game, their manager Paco Flores expressed his concern about his opponents Oporto, ex European champions who are currently leading their league in Portugal. And in the end Oporto's experience won the day with two second half goals to which Espanyol had no reply. Flores had put out his best available line up, and with left back Roger pulling out with back pains the day before and Velamazán not back to full fitness, he brought in two South American replacements Toledo and Navas. Oporto had two old friends in their squad, Aloisio and Juan Antonio Pizzi, both of whom had played at FC Barcelona earlier in their careers. The ex Real Madrid defender Secretario was however missing through injury.

Espanyol were the better team in the first half, with Posse rounding Ovchinikov early on only to see his shot headed off the line by Jorge Costa. Greek referee Kyros Vassaras waved away a couple of claims for penalties, including one on Arteaga that others would have given. After the break though the visitors took the lead, Soldevilla failing to pick up a long high ball from Paredes in his own half allowing Drulovic to run in, control the ball and shoot past Mora. Flores brought on Velamazán and Oscar, but it was the Portuguese who extended their lead, their top scorer Pena taking a short pass from Deco to beat the keeper from the edge of the area. Tamudo and Sergio brought out saves from the Oporto keeper, but in the end they were lucky only to end up two down as Drulovic shot against the inside of the post in the final minutes, Mora finding the ball in his hands from the rebound. They now have a monumental task to turn the tie around in the Das Antras stadium in the second leg.