POMPEY 2 VITORIA SC 0
Pompey’s UEFA Cup adventure got off to the perfect start with strikes from Lassana Diarra and Jermain Defoe giving them a two-goal lead to take to Portugal for the second leg.
There should have been more goals but both Defoe and Vitoria’s Fajardo missed penalties in an eventful 90 minutes at Fratton Patk
Harry Redknapp made two changes for the Blues’ first foray into Europe. Nadir Belhadj and John Utaka came into the side with Younes Kaboul and Papa Bouba Diop dropping to the bench.
The opening stages were largely uneventful. Armand Traore did embark on a surging run into the Vitoria box from his own half, but he was eventually crowded out.
Roberto was the first name in referee Knut Kircher’s book on 18 minutes. The Vitoria striker was shown a yellow card for hacking down Diarra, after the midfielder had burst clear near the halfway line.
The first shot of the match finally arrived on 19 minutes – and it fell Pompey’s way. Utaka found Peter Crouch, who in turn laid it off to Defoe but the striker’s curling strike was tipped over the bar by Nilson.
Utaka almost put the Blues ahead from the resulting corner. The ball found its way to the Nigerian on the edge of the area and his low shot was deflected onto the post.
But at the other end, Sol Campbell was forced to concede a corner to prevent Desmarets from meeting Danilo’s superb cross from the right.
Defoe blazed the ball high over the bar on 32 minutes after Belhadj and Crouch had combined to tee up the England striker.
He had an even better chance five minutes later, making space for himself in the area before hitting a fierce shot that was brilliantly saved by Nilson.
But DIARRA broke the deadlock soon after with a stunning goal. The France midfielder burst inside from wide on the left, played a neat one-two with Defoe and fired an unstoppable effort into the net.
The visitors were handed an immediate chance to equalise when Campbell bundled over Roberto in the box. Fajardo stepped up to take the spot-kick but sent his shot over the bar and into the Fratton end.
Half Time: Pompey 1 Vitoria 0
Pompey should have doubled their advantage four minutes after the restart but this time it was the Blues who failed from the spot after Defoe had been blatantly tripped in the area by Moreno.
The Blues striker picked himself up to take the penalty and although it was placed right in corner, Nilson guessed the right way and pushed the ball clear.
Vitoria almost punished the miss immediately. A quick free-kick was played into Roberto’s path but the Brazilian dragged his shot wide of the post.
Traore’s pace caused the visitors problems on 56 minutes. The winger burst down the left and sent in a pin-point cross towards Crouch, but his header was caught on the line by Nilson.
Pompey’s service from the left was causing Vitoria all kinds of problems – and it provided the Blues with their second goal on the hour.
Belhadj whipped a delightful low cross into the box, allowing the unmarked DEFOE to sweep the ball home from close range.
Defoe could have added a third minutes later after latching onto Crouch’s flick, but Nilson flung himself to his right to push the ball behind.
Vitoria were inches away from reducing the deficit on 67 minutes. Joao Alves’ free-kick from wide on the left thundered its way through a host of bodies before the unsighted David James managed to divert it just past the post.
Moreno tried his luck with a 25-yard daisycutter as the Portuguese side tried to get back in the game but James comfortably held the Vitoria skipper’s strike.
But Pompey were not going to just sit back on their two-goal advantage. They would have had a third on 79 minutes if Nilson had not somehow got a hand to Traore’s thunderbolt from 12-yards out.
The Blues could not increase their lead despite pushing forward late in the game, so they will take a two-goal advantage to Estadio D. Afonso Henriques in two weeks time.
Pompey: James; Johnson, Campbell (c), Distin, Belhadj; Utaka (Diop 74), Diarra, Davis, A Traore (Hreidarsson 90); Crouch (Kanu 90), Defoe
Goals: Diarra 39, Defoe 60
Booked: Campbell
Subs: Ashdown, Kaboul, Mvuemba, Little
Vitoria: Nilson; Andrezinho, Danilo, Moreno (c), Gregory. Momha (Luciano 55); Fajardo (Coral 64), Wenio, Joao Alves, Desmarets; Roberto
Booked: Roberto, Fajardo, Moreno
Subs: Santos, Sereno, Carlitos, Ronaldo, Lamelas
Referee: Knut Kircher (Germany)
