Super Eagles defender Zaidu Sanusi was on from the start as 10-man Porto shocked Italian giants Juventus in Turin to progress to the quarterfinals of the UEFA Champions League on away goals.
Sergio Oliveira scored the decisive goal as his long-range freekick in the second half extra time passed through the legs of Cristiano Ronaldo it 2-2 on the night and give Porto the lead on aggregate.
Adrien Rabiot headed in an equaliser two minutes later to give the Italian champions hope, only for Porto goalkeeper Agustin Marchesin to produce a stunning save in the final moments to ensure the Portuguese champions advanced on away goals despite a 3-2 second leg Juventus win.
Sanusi who has been called up for Nigeria’s 2021 AFCON qualifiers against Benin Republic and Lesotho later this month was on for 71 minutes before making way for Luis Diaz seventeen minutes after Porto had been reduced to ten men following Mehdi Taremi’s second yellow for kicking the ball away.
Oliveira’s 19th-minute penalty after Merih Demiral brought down Taremi put the Portuguese side ahead and opened up a 3-1 aggregate lead.
But Federico Chiesa struck five minutes after the interval and completed his brace with a header off Juan Cuadrado’s cross to level the tie on aggregate.
Juventus piled on the pressure as their numerical advantage began to pay dividends and the Italians nearly snatched victory late on but Alvaro Morata’s late goal was ruled off for offside and Cuadrado rocket cannoned off the woodwork amid some heroic defending from Porto as the game was sent to a decider.
And just like in 2004 when Costinha’s last-minute free-kick against Manchester United in 2004 ensured eventual champions Porto side advanced to the quarter-finals, Oliveira scored from a freekick to ensure Juventus exit on away goals at this stage for the second consecutive season.
Elsewhere, Erling Braut Haaland made it 20 goals in 14 Champions League appearances with a double for Borussia Dortmund who drew 2-2 with Sevilla to progress to the quarter-finals 5-4 on aggregate.
The 20-year-old striker opened the scoring on 35 minutes with his only touch in the opposition’s box in the first half and added a second from a twice-taken penalty.
The Norwegian had scored but the goal was initially ruled out for a foul before the video assistant referee awarded a penalty for a shirt-pull by Jules Kounde on Haaland in the build-up.
The striker took the spot-kick himself and saw both his first attempt and his follow-up saved by Bounou.
However, VAR determined Bounou had moved too early off his line and the penalty was taken again, with Haaland finally slotting home to give Dortmund a 5-2 advantage in the tie.
A Youssef En-Nesyri penalty gave the visitors hope and his header deep in added time ensured a nervy end to the match for the Bundesliga side.
Dortmund have reached the last eight of the Champions League for the first time since the 2016-17 season and will find out their opponents when the draw is made on 19 March.
