Goals: Kuranyi 4'

Schalke 04 played like veterans in their first appearance in the knockout rounds of the Champions League to beat Porto 1-0 on Tuesday and celebrate their 100th European match with a 50th victory.

Kevin Kuranyi blasted in the only goal in the fourth minute, after the Porto keeper Helton had failed to hold a shot from Rafinha.

Porto, who won the European Cup for the second time on their last visit to the Arena AufSchalke in 2004, created little before Lisandro Lopez almost grabbed an equaliser from nowhere with a close-range effort that flew wide 10 minutes from time.

Most of the Porto squad that beat Monaco in that final has long since dispersed, along with coach Jose Mourinho, of course.

Lucho Gonzalez and Ricardo Quaresma are the team’s biggest attacking threats these days but neither man was given an opportunity to shine until Schalke tired a little at the end.

It was no surprise that the German side lost a little of their intensity, after starting at a furious pace in front of a 54,000 full house.

That tactic in the home leg often plays into the hands of the more experienced side but in this case it worked perfectly.

HAMMERED SHOT

Right-back Rafinha cut inside to catch the defence unawares and hammered in a shot towards the near post. Helton could only punch it away and it dropped nicely for Kuranyi to finish from 10 metres.

“We got the result we wanted,” Schalke coach Mirko Slomka said at a news conference. “We had better chances than Porto and could have made it 2-0 but we are very satisfied.”

For a while Porto were simply overwhelmed, as Schalke, blessed with a perfect target man in Gerald Asamoah, broke quickly whenever the visitors did go forward.

In the 18th minute Ivan Rakitic came in from the left, after the referee had played a good advantage, and cracked a shot that Helton did well to turn round the post.

Later in the half Kuranyi tried to surprise the keeper in similar fashion, coming in from the right and again shooting low to the near post, bringing another good save.

Porto had created just one moment of menace when Ernesto Farias made it to the line and cut back to Lisandro. An equaliser looked on the cards before a desperate boot from a Schalke defender cut out the danger.

Porto were more aggressive in the second half but were still confined to long shots before they so nearly pinched an equaliser as Quaresma crossed from the right and the unmarked Lisandro somehow put the ball wide.

“Obviously it’s not a result to give us great confidence for the return,” said Porto coach Jesualdo Ferreira. “But we’ve come through more difficult situations than this. There’s still an opportunity for us to play a great game.”

The second leg, with a quarter-final place at stake, will be played in Porto on March 5.

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