Viktoria Plzeň were left heartbroken late on as Porto struck in the dying moments to snatch a 1-1 draw in the UEFA Europa League, denying the Czech side a famous victory despite them finishing the contest with 10 men.
Still, Plzeň extended their unbeaten run in the league phase this season.
Despite being depleted by absentees, Martin Hyský’s men made a dream start, breaking the deadlock just six minutes in. A loose Jan Bednarek pass was pounced on by Denis Višinský, who slid in on Diogo Costa before the ball fell kindly for Lukáš Červ.
The midfielder wasted no time, firing a powerful effort from outside the area that beat the Porto goalkeeper.
The visitors struggled to settle after falling behind and were nearly punished again when Christophe Kabongo danced into space and curled a shot inches wide of the post.
Porto then enjoyed a spell of pressure after an untidy touch from Červ allowed Borja Sainz through on goal, though his effort lacked conviction and was comfortably dealt with by Florian Wiegele.
Plzeň continued to ride their luck as Amar Memić and Jakub Kiwior both threatened, with Wiegele fortunate on two occasions as misplaced passes created openings that ultimately came to nothing.
The hosts suffered a blow when Kabongo was forced off injured midway through the first half, before matters worsened as Matej Vydra was shown a red card for handling Martim Fernandes’ goal-bound header.
However, Porto failed to capitalise before the interval, with Samu Aghehowa squandering a golden chance by sending the resulting penalty wide, allowing the 10-man hosts to head into the break still in front.
After the restart, Plzeň dug deep to protect their advantage, with Karel Špačil impressing defensively as Porto struggled to break them down. Bednarek tried his luck from distance, but his effort sailed harmlessly wide, while Francesco Farioli’s tactical changes failed to spark an immediate response.
Chances remained scarce for the visitors as Červ blocked a Pepe attempt, before efforts from Pablo Rosario and Kiwior drifted off target as frustration began to boil over. Tensions peaked late on when a member of Porto’s coaching staff was sent off.
Just as it seemed Plzeň would hold on, Porto finally found a breakthrough in the 90th minute.
Deniz Gül outmuscled Červ and rifled a low shot beyond Wiegele to rescue a point for the Portuguese side and keep them above the Czech outfit in the standings.
Porto nearly completed the turnaround moments later, but Samu failed to find the target, ensuring their nine-match winning streak across all competitions came to an end. For Plzeň, it was a cruel conclusion, as they were forced to settle for a fourth consecutive Europa League draw.
