Porto - Real Madrid

Oporto: Vitor Baia; Secretario, Ricardo Silva (Alenitchev 67'), Andrade, Mario Silva; Paredes, Pavlin; Capucho, Deco, Candido Costa (Clayton 54'); Postiga (Pena 65'). 4-2-3-1.
Real Madrid: César; Miñambres, Hierro, Karanka (Celades 46'), Pavón, Raúl Bravo (Michel Salgado 79'); McManaman (Munitis 61'), Iván Helguera, Flavio Conceiçao, Solari; Guti. 5-4-1.

Goals:
0-1. 07. Solari. Header into top corner of net from long Miñambres cross.
0-2. 20. Iván Helguera. Bundled ball into net after Baia got a hand to Guti's shot.
1-2. 28. Capucho. Controlled pass in from Postiga and poked ball past César.

Group C league table:
Real Madrid........ 12 points
Panathinaikos....... 7 points
Sparta Prague...... 3 points
Porto......................... 1 point

A Real Madrid side packed with reserves qualified for the quarter finals of the competition after beating Porto 1-2 in the Das Antas stadium. Del Bosque left Raúl, Figo, Zidane and Roberto Carlos at home and lined up with three central defenders and youngsters Miñambres and Bravo as wing backs, although there was no place in the end for young B team striker Portillo, who travelled with the squad but had to watch the game from the stands. Despite the defensive formation they were two goals up within twenty minutes, Solari heading a Miñambres cross past Vitor Baia early on and Helguera bundling the ball into the net a few minutes later. It was a demonstration of maximum efficiency in front of goal, as other than that the Portuguese side had dominated the game but had not been able to beat a superb César, who was deputising for Casillas in goal. Madrid had however had a stroke of luck when referee Collina waved play on after Hierro appeared to handle in the area.

Eventually though Capucho pulled one back for the hosts, and Ricardo Silva incredibly headed wide from less than a metre out following a corner shortly before the break. Del Bosque gave up his experiment and put on Celades for Karanka at half time, and soon afterwards added Munitis as support for Guti in place of McManaman. Porto kept up the attack as Madrid eased off, but after César saved from Capucho, Pena, Clayton and Paredes all missed easy chances to hand Madrid their fourth win out of four in the second phase and ensure their pass through to the next round. The result was also a relief for the team who had not won any away game since early December, and Del Bosque can now give a run out to his reserve players for the next two European games and save his stars for the league and for next week's cup final.