MADRID - Lisandro Lopez scored a goal in each half to
help Porto rally twice to draw 2-2 at Atletico Madrid in their
Champions League first knockout round first leg on
Tuesday.
Atletico took the lead in the third minute when Sergio Aguero's
attempted pass to strike partner Diego Forlan ran through to Maxi
on the right of the area and he slammed the ball past goalkeeper
Helton.
Dangerous forward Hulk caused problems for the home defence as
Porto came back strongly and he blazed a shot over the bar before
Forlan stung Helton's hands with a powerful drive.
The equaliser came after 22 minutes when defender Pablo Ibanez
badly misjudged a header and Lopez raced through to drive the ball
in off keeper Leo Franco.
A dreadful mistake by Helton gifted Atletico their second goal
in first-half stoppage time. Forlan fired a speculative long-range
effort and the ball squirmed through the Porto keeper's hands and
into the net.
Porto almost equalised immediately after the restart when Franco
saved superbly from a Cristian Rodriguez header and Lisandro
spooned a first-time shot over the bar with only the keeper to
beat.
It was only a matter of time before the visitors got a deserved
second and Lopez turned in Aly Cissokho's low cross with 18 minutes
left to make it a disappointing end to new Atletico coach Abel
Resino's Champions League debut.
The second leg is at Porto on March 11