PORTO, Portugal (AP) — Porto captain Pepe became the highest scorer in Champions League history after Porto beat 10-man Antwerp 2-0 on Tuesday to end the Belgian club’s hopes of reaching the knockout stages.
Pepe, 40 years and 254 days old, scored in stoppage time after Brazilian striker Evanilson had put the hosts ahead with a goal in the first half.
The previous record was held by Roma’s Francesco Totti, who scored in Europe’s biggest club competition Age 38 years and 59 days In 2014.
With four defeats in as many matches in Group H, last-placed Antwerp can no longer finish as one of the top two teams. Porto has nine points and is level with leaders Barcelona, which lost 1-0 to Shakhtar Donetsk in the other match in the group.
With Barcelona losing earlier in the day, Antwerp knew they could revive their hopes of progressing. Fielding a side featuring several young players – including 18-year-old playmaker Arthur Vermeeren who was given the captain’s armband in Toby Alderweireld’s absence – the Belgian champions started strongly.
Antwerp initially managed to fend off the early pressure from the hosts and had an excellent opportunity to take the lead after just eight minutes when Porto lost the ball in their own half. Striker Michel-Ange Palicuecha was quickly set up in the penalty area, but missed the target.
Evanilson, who scored a hat-trick in the 4-1 win over Antwerp last month, came close to scoring but his shot was tipped wide in the 15th minute.
The Brazilian striker got another chance in the 32nd minute from a penalty kick. Goalkeeper Ceni Lamines sent the wrong direction to put Porto ahead with his seventh goal of the season.
Deputizing for Jean Botez, who stayed at home with his pregnant wife, Lamins made a good save from Pepe’s sanctuary just seconds before the referee awarded the penalty for a foul by Gerano Kirk on Steven Eustaquio inside the penalty area.
Porto played more freely after opening the scoring and could have doubled the lead two minutes before the end of the first half when Mehdi Taremi passed a through ball and fired a powerful shot that hit the side netting.
Antwerp suffered another blow in the 52nd minute when midfielder Jurgen Eckelenkamp received a red card after a VAR check for a reckless tackle on Zaydou Sanusi. But Porto waited until stoppage time to take advantage of the situation to add another goal when Pepe headed the ball into the net directly after Antwerp winger Arbnor Moja wasted a golden opportunity to equalize.
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