Kevin Kuranyi's early strike divided the teams in Gelsenkirchen as FC Schalke 04 marked their debut in the knockout stages with a 1-0 victory, though FC Porto may make them rue their failure to further convert their dominance in the second leg.
López chance
Kuranyi struck his third UEFA Champions League goal of the season after just four minutes, pouncing on the loose ball after Rafinha's shot was parried. That the home team's full-back was so far advanced was a measure of their purpose but Schalke, and the goalscorer in particular, failed to take advantage and as the second half wore on Porto threatened an equaliser. Their best chance fell to Lisandro López with ten minutes left but with the goal gaping the striker skewed Ricardo Quaresma's low cross over and Schalke will travel to Portugal on 5 March with their 1-0 lead intact.
Telling pass
Back from suspension, Jermaine Jones returned to the base of Schalke's midfield and wasted little time in making his presence felt. Just four minutes in, he picked up possession midway inside the Porto half and split the visiting back line with a pinpoint pass through to Rafinha. The Brazilian right-back hit a powerful effort that Helton could only manage to parry as far as Kuranyi who gleefully side-footed in.
Fucile difficulty
The move all stemmed from a poor pass from Fucile, who endured a difficult return to his favoured left-back berth having switched flanks to cover for the injured Bosingwa at the weekend. João Paulo filled in tonight, but Fucile must have wished he had stayed on the right. Soon after the goal Rafinha twisted, turned and gained a metre close to the by-line before delivering a dangerous cross that Pedro Emanuel did well to lift over three lurking royal blue shirts.
Schalke strength
It was not the triumphant return to Gelsenkirchen, the scene of their 2004 UEFA Champions League final win, that Porto had envisaged. Even when the isolated López did receive possession he was usually met by the imperious Mladen Krstajić, and Schalke continued to drive forward. Sensing a weakness, the vulture-like Kuranyi kept drifting on to the right wing and escaped the beleaguered Fucile time and again. Only once, though, did he force a save from Helton, whose goal was again threatened when Ivan Rakitić fired just over just before half-time.
Porto balance
By then Fucile had switched with João Paulo, the latter announcing his presence on Porto's troubled left flank with an ill-advised back heel 25 metres from his own goal that almost proved costly. But the visitors began the second half with much better shape, getting up in numbers to support their attackers, and only Fabian Ernst's timely intervention prevented López's pass finding its way through to Lucho González soon after the restart.
Jones spark
Schalke still looked the more likely side to score and, just before the hour, Kuranyi almost made it two but failed to get purchase on Jones' exquisite arcing cross with the goal at his mercy. It was the sort of profligacy home coach Mirko Slomka spoke of before the game as being his side's downfall over recent weeks and, as the game wore on Porto, sought to expose the wound again. Raul Meireles tested Manuel Neuer with a swerving long-range effort before López miscued from point-blank range and Schalke held on.
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