PORTO, Portugal: With a convincing performance at home, Porto beat Leipzig 3-1 to reach second place in Group G of the Champions League on Wednesday.
Hector Herrera put the Portuguese hosts ahead with a shot from inside the area early in the first half before Timo Werner came off the bench to equalize for Leipzig just after halftime.
Danilo broke the deadlock from close range after a free kick later in the second half and Maxi Pereira sealed Porto’s victory in a breakaway move in injury time, leaving the 2004 champions in good position to advance to the knockout stage for the second straight season.
Porto reached six points from four matches, two points more than Leipzig but four fewer than Besiktas — held 1-1 by Monaco in Turkey in the group’s other game Wednesday. Last-place Monaco has two points.
“In the first game in Germany, Leipzig surprised us as they were a team we didn’t know very well,” Herrera said. “Tonight we were better positioned and closed a lot of spaces.”
Leipzig had beaten Porto 3-2 two weeks ago.
“It was a strong game from us,” Porto coach Sergio Conceicao said. “We worked well as a unit and didn’t suffer as we did in Germany in the first meeting. We nullified our opponent’s strengths for large parts.”
Danilo appeared to be offside when he scored Porto’s second goal at the Estadio do Dragao.
Werner surprisingly didn’t make the starting lineup for Leipzig, but the 21-year-old German international made an impact as soon as he came on with a shot over goalkeeper Jose Sa from just inside the area for the equalizer.
“It was an even contest,” Leipzig defender Bernardo said. “The final score of 3-1 isn’t a good reflection of the match as a whole. Things are still very much open (in the group). We believe we are as good as our opponents and we’re going to fight to get through.”
Porto, which had lost four straight games against German clubs, lost Moussa Marega because of an injury in the 12th minute.
Porto next plays at Besiktas, while Leipzig is at Monaco.
Porto beats Leipzig 3-1 to move 2nd in CL group
Porto beats Leipzig 3-1 to move 2nd in CL group
Football’s return to Syrian pitches brings fanfare — and friction
RIYADH: Just 10 days after the first anniversary of Syria’s Liberation Day, and one week after the historic performance of the country’s football team at the 2025 Arab Cup — where they reached the quarterfinals — domestic football returned as the Syrian Premier League kicked off its new season.
While league football has continued intermittently since a one-year suspension in 2011, this season represents a notable shift.
For the first time since 2017, the competition features 16 teams playing a full round-robin format — a return to structural normality after years of disrupted campaigns, withdrawals and operational challenges caused by conflict and deteriorating infrastructure.
Foreign players have also returned in significant numbers. A total of 25 overseas players are registered across the 16 clubs in what is now known as the “Prime TV” Syrian Premier League, following the broadcaster’s acquisition of domestic broadcasting rights for the season.
Yet despite the sense of renewal, the league’s reset has been far from smooth. Average attendances remain well below pre-war levels, while the season itself was delayed multiple times before eventually beginning in mid-December — a schedule that is now expected to extend deep into the summer months.
Concerns over facilities and fan safety have already sparked internal tension. The anticipated Matchday Two fixture between Tishreen and Hottin — also known as the Latakia Derby — was postponed by the Syrian Football Association until further notice. No official explanation was provided, but stadium readiness and crowd safety has been at the core of football discussion in Syria.
Supporters have also voiced their frustration over the newly announced ticket prices. Entry fees increased from 5,000 Syrian pounds ($0.45) to 15,000 SYP, a threefold rise announced by the SFA and widely cited as a factor behind subdued crowds.
Infrastructure remains a pressing issue. Historic venues such as Khalid Ibn Al-Walid Stadium in the city of Homs are still not cleared to host games due to pitch conditions and safety requirements, reinforcing the sense of uneven progress — advances made, but frequently offset by new obstacles.
Operational shortcomings were evident as early as the first game of the season. In the opening fixture between Al-Shorta and Hottin, a formal warning was issued to the former by the Disciplinary and Ethics Committee due to a breach in organizational arrangements for the match, including the failure to provide ball boys, which led to a five-minute delay to kick-off.
Political sensitivities have not been easy to navigate either. Al-Karamah were fined 1,500,000 SYP after fans directed verbal abuse at Al-Wahda player Milad Hamad, due to previous political posts made on his Facebook account.
Five days later, Al-Wahda announced Hamad’s suspension from all sporting activities pending review by the relevant committee at the SFA. “This decision comes in solidarity with all our beloved Syrian fans and as a reaffirmation of our commitment to the unity of our people and our land, and to the fact that the blood of our martyrs in the Syrian Revolution has not been shed in vain,” the club said in a statement posted via their official Facebook page.
Rebuilding a sustainable football system in Syria has proven complex. The league’s return has brought moments of excitement alongside renewed tension — a reminder that restoring domestic football is not simply about restarting competition, but about addressing the structures that support it. The Syrian Football Association was contacted for comment, but did not respond.
