Porto beats Roma 3-1 to reach Champions League quarterfinals

Porto forward Moussa Marega celebrates after scoring his side’s second goal during the Champions League round of 16, 2nd leg, soccer match between FC Porto and AS Roma at the Dragao stadium in Porto, Portugal, Wednesday, March 6, 2019. (AP Photo/Luis Vieira)

PORTO, Portugal—Alex Telles scored a penalty in extra time to send Porto into the Champions League quarterfinals with a 3-1 victory over Roma on Wednesday, overturning a one-goal deficit from the first leg.

Telles converted the spot kick two minutes from time after Alessandro Florenzi had been penalized following a video review for pulling back Fernando.

That sent Porto through 4-3 on aggregate and left Florenzi in tears at the final whistle. The Italy defender was consoled by Porto goalkeeper Iker Casillas.

“We deserve to qualify, we were better. Belief was what made the difference,” Porto midfielder Hector Herrera said.

Roma had had several chances to level in extra time and also had a penalty appeal of its own turned down late after the referee decided a silent check by VAR was enough to determine that Moussa Marega had not fouled Patrik Schick.

“We could have made it 2-2 on several occasions and gone through,” Roma defender Kostas Manolas said. “Then they blew for a penalty and then they didn’t give another which for us was clear.

“You can’t make such a mistake in certain matches. There’s VAR and the referee didn’t even go to see it. For me it’s a disgrace, because when the team gives its utmost on the pitch it can’t go out in this way.”

There was also a decisive penalty in the other match of the night, as Marcus Rashford’s injury-time spot kick sent Manchester United through with a 3-1 win at Paris Saint-Germain, overturning a two-goal deficit.

In the Estadio do Dragao, Porto needed to fight back from a 2-1 loss in Rome and attacked from the start.

It took a deserved lead in the 26th minute when Marega rolled the ball across the box for Tiquinho Soares to tap in from close range.

That would have sent Porto through on the away goals rule but Roma levelled 11 minutes later after Diego Perotti was brought down by Eder Militao and Daniele De Rossi converted the resulting penalty, sending fellow veteran Casillas the wrong way following a stuttering run-up.

De Rossi then limped off on the stroke of halftime with a muscular injury and was replaced by Lorenzo Pellegrini.

Porto had ended the first half on top, with Herrera forcing a fine save from Robin Olsen, and it started the second period in the same vein.

And the Portuguese champions retook the lead seven minutes after the break when Marega volleyed in Jesus Corona’s cross from close range.

Roma went close to equalizing on several occasions and Edin Dzeko saw an effort cleared from off the line by Pepe shortly before Porto’s penalty.