FC Shakhtar Donetsk held UEFA Champions League Group H winners FC Porto to a draw in the Estádio do Dragão as the section's two qualified sides could not be separated.
Despite there being no qualification pressure on either team, chances had been at a premium until Taras Stepanenko's breakthrough in the 50th minute as he headed in a Bernard corner. Porto's much-changed side took time to click but Bruno Martins Indi nodded against the crossbar in the 71st minute and then Vincent Aboubakar had the Dragons' fans roaring as he thrashed home an 87th-minute equaliser.
Shakhtar coach Mircea Lucescu – without suspended UEFA Champions League top scorer Luiz Adriano – had predicted a good, open game and Olexandr Gladkiy did have a terrific early opportunity for the Pitmen yet was unable to make the connection at the far post that was required to turn the ball in. Porto winger Ricardo Quaresma was lively, shooting straight at Andriy Pyatov on the half-hour and within seconds the goalkeeper was called upon again, diving to his right to save from Adrián López.
Porto were forced into a reshuffle when midfielder Rúben Neves went off with a knee injury. Martins Indi came on and Iván Marcano stepped up the pitch from centre-half. Shakhtar' captain for the night, Stepanenko, picked up a costly booking just before the interval and will be suspended for the first leg of the round of 16.
Bernard had looked the most dangerous attacker on either side and he provided the assist from a corner as Stepanenko partially redeemed his night, getting away from his marker and soaring to power in a commanding header which gave Shakhtar the lead. Porto almost equalised immediately as Aboubakar flashed a volley on the turn narrowly wide.
Shakhtar carried the greater menace in wide areas and Bernard slipped another fine pass to Alex Teixeira, his fellow Brazilian, whose powerful strike was deflected over. Porto substitute Martins Indi crashed a header against the crossbar from a Ricardo cross entering the final 20 minutes but it appeared Porto would be frustrated until Aboubakar seized on a loose Fernando touch and rifled in a shot from 25 metres that Pyatov could only palm into the roof of the net.
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