Super Eagles striker Terem Moffi found the net while Zaidu Sanusi provided an assist as Porto secured a 2-1 victory over Stuttgart in the first leg of their Europa League round of 16 clash on Thursday.
Both Nigerian players proved crucial for the Portuguese side as Moffi scored his second goal since joining the club in January while Zaidu got his second assist of the season, as Porto claimed a crucial advantage ahead of the second leg next week.
The visitors took the lead in the 21st minute as Spanish winger Borja Sainz showed awareness to pick out Moffi inside the box. The Nigerian then buried a composed finish into the net, giving Porto a 1-0 lead.
Few minutes later Francesco Farioli’s side doubled their advantage. This time, Zaidu Sanusi provided the assist, making an explosive run down the left before his brilliant cross was finished by youngster Rodrigo Mora, making it 2-0.
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Just before half-time, Stuttgart pulled one back to reduce the deficit. German forward Deniz Undav got the goal for the Bundesliga side, firing a stunning left-footed finish into the bottom right-corner to give the hosts hopes of a comeback.
Stuttgart thought they leveled the score line in the 70th minute as midfielder Angelo Stiller scored from close range, however, after being sent to the VAR monitor, the referee decided to rule the goal out for offside, keeping Porto’s lead intact.
Despite pushing for another goal to ensure they got something from the game, Stuttgart were unable to find the net, with Porto holding on desperately to their one-goal lead to secure a valuable result ahead of the second leg.
The return leg is scheduled for Thursday, March 19 at Estádio Do Dragão. While Stuttgart will need a comeback to even have a chance of qualifying to the next round, Porto only need a draw to seal their spot in the quarterfinals.
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