Reasons Manchester United might not have it all their own way in Estadio do Dragao tonight

1) Porto are unbeaten in 24 matches since 2 November.
2) Manchester United have not won in three previous visits to Porto, who have never lost at home against English opposition.
3) Porto have won all bar one of the eight ties in Uefa club competition where they have drawn the first leg away from home.
4) United have lost their last four knockout ties in the Champions League when they have played the second leg away from home.

Then again ...

1) Porto is a foreign club, ergo a flakey one, unlike Manchester United, an English club built on the good honest, sweaty graft of proud northern Englishmen ... and imported Irish labourers, who are also foreign, but not in the same way as Portuguese, Spanish, French and other properly "foreign" folk.

Team news we've attached a rope to and dragged kicking and screaming from the wires Sir Alex Ferguson recalls former Porto star Anderson to try to steer Manchester United through to the Champions League semi-finals at the expense of his old club tonight.

The Brazilian had missed three games since picking up a knee injury on international duty with Brazil, but Ferguson had no hesitation in including him in a side captained by Ryan Giggs, which has Rio Ferdinand back in central defence alongside Nemanja Vidic.

Mariano's last-minute equaliser at Old Trafford to earn a 2-2 draw eight days ago ensures Porto start tonight's second leg as favourites to progress.

The Portuguese champions are unchanged as they tried to subdue an attack spearheaded by Dimitar Berbatov, with Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney providing the support.

FC Porto: Helton, Sapunaru, Rolando, Bruno Alves, Cissokho, Lucho Gonzalez, Fernando, Raul Meireles, Lopez, Hulk, Rodriguez.
Subs: Nuno, Stepanov, Guarin, Mariano Gonzalez, Costa, Madrid,
Farias.

Man Utd: Van der Sar, O'Shea, Ferdinand, Vidic, Evra, Giggs, Carrick, Anderson, Rooney, Berbatov, Ronaldo.
Subs: Foster, Neville, Evans, Nani, Scholes, Tevez, Macheda.

Referee: Massimo Busacca (Switzerland)

Rob Smyth, who'll be blogging on this match here at the final whistle is very pleased that Gary Neville is on the bench and reckons that Manchester United will play a 4-2-3-1, with Rooney on the left, Ronaldop on the right and Giggs in the middle, just behind Berbatov. Who am I to disagree?

An email, from Jack Burns: "I really want to see the game tonight but I have neither Sky tv nor friends to go to the pub with," he writes. "At whom should I direct my anger? Evil Capitalist Fiend Rupert Murdoch? Or my mother for my complete inability to form meaningful relationships with anything other than pornography and general social ineptitude?"

Jack doesn't say where he's writing from, but assuming he gets back in touch to let me know, is there anybody out there who'd be at least provisionally prepared to go to the pub with him, have a few pints and watch the game? He writes amusing enough email to suggest that he might be a reasonable drinking companion, if not a prospective Best Man.

Another email, this time from Nathan Smith: "Since when has Dimitar Berbatov spearheaded anything?" he asks. "Unless you mean a large, unresponsive spearhead which slows everything down. It's like Fatima Whitbread throwing a plunger."

"How was the AC/DC concert and did you encounter any sleeping children?" asks Richard Hooker, referring to the pertinent clip from Monday's Football Weekly. It was great - one of the best gigs I've ever attended - and I didn't, Richard, although there were quite a few dads-with-young-sons combos present. Worryingly, my ears are still ringing.

An email from John Kim, who has a certain amount of sympathy for Jack Burns: "Jack needs to grow a pair and just go to the pub by himself," he writes. "Tell Jack he sounds like my kind of guy (seemingly having roughly the same social issues) and that if he lives anywhere near Royton, in Oldham, he can come to the pub with I and my lady friend," adds Kyle Walker-Booth, who is clearly nothing like Jack Burns if he can boast a girlfriend that he doesn't need to inflate with a foot-pump.

A 2-2 draw is the only result tonight that can take this tie to extra time and keep me in the office for an extra 30 minutes, so get your money on that. "As the members of AC/DC have aged has the Highway to Hell become shorter?" asks James Colern. "Or perhaps they are now driving down the highway for miles on end with their turning signal on going at least 20mph under the speed limit."

Click-clack, click-clack, click-clack, click-clack: The teams emerge from the tunnel into the packed arena and line up for the fancy Champions League music. Both are attired in their customary home strips. Predction time - I'll go for a nervy Porto win - 2-1, 4-3 on aggregate.

Pete Jones writes: "I'll go to the pub with Jack Burns if he lives in Paris," he says. "Otherwise I'm consigned to another evening spent shut in my room while my flatmate sits on the couch giggling and tickling with a new beau on the other side of an impossibly thin wall. Will Jack buy the beers though? I'm very poor, otherwise I'd actually go out alone. Sigh."

And they're off. Manchester United kick off playing from left to right. Or right to left if you're looking at it from the other side of the ground. The ball is immediately hoofed forwards towards Ryan Giggs in the final third, but there's too much welly on it and Porto clear.

1 min: Anderson picks up the ball in midfield and is harried and hassled into giving it away by Hulk, who's all over him like a cheap suit.

2 min: "When I was a humble government employee I would have been happy to share pints with Jack Burns and just about everyone else on a Wednesday afternoon," writes Mark Schlink. "But alas, I no longer work for 'the man' and have found that 'a man' keeps closer track of my hours. That said, if Jack happens to be in Washington DC, the Lucky Bar is always packed (with the unemployed/government-employed and surprisingly attractive women) for the Champions League."

3 min: Hulk brings the first save of the evening out of Edwin van der Sar with a free-kick from much the same area that Fabio Aurelio scored Liverpool';s opener last night - 35 yards out, right of centre. Hulk's effort wasn't as good, but Van der Sar had to have his wits about him as the ball bounced on the edge of the six-yard box before finding its way into the Dutchman's warm embrace.

GOAL! Porto 0-1 Manchester United (Agg:2-3) (Ronaldo 6) A sensational goal from Ronaldo who, out of nothing, rifles a right-footed 40-yard screamer into the top left-hand side-netting. Correction: official stats show it was a mere 39.6 yards, with the ball travelling at 64.2mph.

8 min: It's all United so far. They're a goal up, dominating possession and have their hosts chasing shadows in their own backyard. That opener has really knocked the stuffing out of Porto - it was unbelievably good. I don't think Helton even saw it go in.

11 min: Michael Carrick tries his luck from distance, but his scuffed 30-yard daisycutter doesn't trouble Helton and fizzes well wide of the left upright.

12 min: Rooney wins a throw-in deep in Porto territory, in the right-hand corner. It's taken and United play keep-ball, passing from one side of the field to the other, across the edge of the penalty area. Their patience pays off when Ronaldo wins a free-kick on the left flank, from which comes a throw-in. Berbatov gets the ball at his feet and is immediately surrounded by a swarm of men in blue and white. He's forced further and further back, until eventually the only realistic option open to him is a back-pass to his own goalkeeper.

15 min: "Were The Answer supporting AC/DC last night?" asks Niall Harden, prompting a "yes" from me. "They used to play the same shitty venues in Belfast as my rubbish post-rock band. I found myself next to the singer at a wedding and asked if the band had any good shows coming up. 'Nah," he replied, before adding 'No wait! We're in Sweden next week. Oh, and then Japan.' Bah. If only we'd abandoned post-rock for Big Rock."

17 min: "I don't see how it could have gone any better for United so far. Porto have not shown anything and United have dominated the possession," says Andy Gray on Sky, taking the words out of my mouth.

18 min: Cristian Rodriguez does well to rob the ball from Wayne Rooney about 10 yards inside the Manchester United half on the right-hand side, but his pass to Hulk is intercepted by Nemanja Vidic.

19 min: Free-kick for Porto, left of centre about 35 yards out. Bruno Alves clips it over the wall and the ball fizzes about three feet wide of Edwin van der Sar's right stick. It wasn't a bad effort, but Porto's justified pleas for a corner are turned down by the referee, despite the ball taking a deflection off the wall.

21 min: Jack Burns has written in to say he's in Carlisle. "You went to see AC/DC?" he asks. "That's amazing. I'm well jealous. I went for a run today with Let There Be Rock on my walkman, the perfect Rock!! album and an even better running soundtrack." Your Walkman? Heaven help us, Jack, you really do have problems.

23 min: In the United half, Lisandoro, Hulk, Rodriguez and Aly Cissokho string a series of passes together for Porto's first sustained bit of possession. The manage to create a half-chance for Cristian Rodriguez, whose weak shot from distance doesn't trouble Van der Sar unduly. Rodriguez's complaints that he was pushed by Rio Ferdinand as he shaped to pull the trigger fall on deaf ears.

25 min: From the left wing, Lucho Gonzalez quater-backs a pass up towards Lisandro on the edge of the six-yard box. Van der Sar claims.

27 min: Having been totally dominated for the opening 20 minutes, it's Porto who are bossing the game now. They're enjoying plenty of possession and starting to look a lot more like the team that took the game the United at Old Trafford last week.

28 min: Bad news for Porto, who lose their captain Lucho Gonzalez to injury. He's replaced by his namesake Mariano Gonzalez, who scored Porto's equaliser in the first leg.

29 min: United in possession. A cross from the right is met by Ryan Giggs on the far side of the six-yard box. He volleys the ball straight at Helton in the Porto goal, but the Brazilian spills it and only just beats an alert Wayne Rooney to the rebound.

33 min: Anderson gallops down the left wing with the ball at his feet, attempts to cross it with a wild left-footed slash, misses completely and falls over. The ball rolls wide and Wayne Rooney waves his arm contemptuously at the Brazilian while shaking his head (his own head, not the Anderson's).

34 min: "I was glad to see the Guardian's story on Tommy Smyth's inane commentary and its effects on those of us in the US," writes Graham Martin. "However, forgetting that he won't be gone from our airwaves until next year, I tuned in late to the match only to hear his rancid "old onion bag" comment as Ronaldo scored and I blacked out."

36 min: Wayne Rooney is now limping after coming out second best from a tackle by Rolando. It looks like he might have damaged a muscle in his thigh. Whatever is wrong with him, he's struggling at the moment.

39 min: Manchester United corner. The ball drops nicely for Carrick outside the penalty area, but his low drive is blocked by his own man, Nemanja Vidic. With most of the United team committed up front, Vidic's "clearance" ricochets towards the left touchline, with full-back Aly Cissoko in hot pursuit. With United looking vulnerable to a breakaway, the ball beats Cissoko to the line.

40 min: Nemanja Vidic gets booked for a late tackle on Cristiano Rodriguez. Moments earlier, Porto had won a free-kick on the left wing and the ball was curled across the Manchester United penalty area. Sprinting in, Bruno Alves got the jump on Nemanja Vidic and flashed a bullet-header a couple of feet wide of the right upright. If that had been on target he'd almost certainly have scored.

43 min: Corner for Manchester United, which Ryan Giggs floats towards the near post. John O'Shea helps the ball on his way, it drops nicely for Vidic, who lunges forward and pulls off the impressive feat of skying it over the bar from four yards. It was easier to score.

45 min: Here's a good one. It seems that because he's serving the first game of a Uefa-imposed two-match touchline ban tonight, Porto manager Jesualdo Ferreira hasn't even turned up at the stadium, stating that he didn't want to be the focus of the TV cameras' attention wherever he sat in the stand. I'd like to think he's keeping in touch with everything that's going on courtesy of this minute-by-minute report, but I doubt that's the case. The word on the street is that he prefers Football 365.

Half-time

Second half is go: "Why does your photograph of Fergie remind me of Hitler?" asks Luke Crane.

"Jack Burns can come round here if he wants," adds Chris in Brighton. "He sounds great. The wine's going down well and I've some nice crisps. No Sky though. It's all about Five Live and the Guardian. Oh, and my wife's back from pregnancy yoga before the end, so we might have to watch the Apprentice." I'd say by the time Jack gets down from Carlisle, Chris, your wife will have had the baby. Who's she having it for, by the way? I presume that if it was yours you'd have accompanied her to the yoga.

46 min: Cristiano Ronaldo fires the first shot in anger in the second half. The rain is bucketing down, making both surface and ball very greasy, but Helton gets down to save well at the near post.

47 min: Patrick Evra gives the ball away in the Manchester United left-back position, where he can often be found loitering. The ball is pinged towards Raul Meireles on the edge of the penalty area and he curls a speculative effort wide - but not too far wide - of the angle between left upright and crossbar.

48 min: "Dear Mr Glendenning, yes I am not at the stadium tonight and I am relying on you to keep me informed," writes Jesualdo Ferreira, or somebody with so much time on their hands they've actually gone to the trouble of setting up a googlemail account in his name. "Please tell Jack Burns that I'm on the M6 passing Southwaite and should make it to the Dog & Whistle next to Tescos by 75 min."

53 min: Free-kick for Manchester United, deep in Porto territory in the right channel. Ryan Giggs curls it straight into Helton's hands. "The photo that reminds Luke Crane of Hitler seems to be of Fergie offering Liverpool their perch back," observes Ian Copestake.

54 min: Manchester United corner. Giggs sends it into the mixer and Bruno Alves clears the ball half the length of the field with an outstanding defensive header.

55 min: "Luke Crane will find that the picture of Fergie looks uncannily like the status of Saddam that they toppled after the conquest of Baghdad," writes Steve Gaw. He's right - it does.

57 min: Free-kick for Porto, about 30 yards from the Manchester United goal, slightly right of centre. Hulk stands over it, before dinking the ball around the wall, but straight at Edwin van der Sar.

58 min: Another shot for Porto from outside the penalty area. This time Cristian Rodriguez tries his luck, but skews his effort horribly wide.

60 min: "Why on earth don't you tell me something useful like do man u need to get another goal, you muppet," writes Tessa Clegg. Let's see - on aggregate United have three goals, Porto have two, Tessa doesn't know who's winning and apparently I'm the muppet.

63 min: Porto substitution: Cristian Rodriguez off, Ernesto Farias on. An Argentinian striker for a Uruguayan one.

64 min: Manchester United are looking comfortable enough so far, but remain just one accurate long-range effort or John O'Shea gaffe away from Champions League elimination.

65 min: Corner for United, which Giggs swings in from the left. It's cleared, but not for long. United win another corner, which Giggs ... eventually ... larrups in from the other side. His outswinger is headed clear by Bruno Alves.

67 min: "I would recommend to Tessa Clegg that she should listen to Tommy Smyth's commentary," writes Graham Martin. "He endlessly repeats drivel like 'Porto need a goal if they are going to win'." A vaguely promising Porto attack comes to naught when Nemanja Vidic hoofs the ball into Row Z.

69 min: When I saw the photo of Fergie, I assumed he was blowing kisses to Ramon Calderon," writes Luke Williams.

70 min: Porto are enjoying plenty of possession without creating much in the way of chances. They've only 19 minutes to rescue their Champions League ambitions. Obviously that's a long time in football as it's well-documented that it only takes a second to score a goal. That being the case, don't rule out a Man Utd 1-1140 Porto scoreline.

73 min: Hulk ripples the side-netting after volleying a poor attempt at a headed clearance from John O'Shea from the edge of the Manchester United six-yard box.

74 min: Corner for Porto, after Adrianno Gonzalez gets the better of Patrice Evra down the right wing. The corner is flighted towards Ernesto Farias at the near post, but despite pulling off the kind of mid-air contortions that would be the envy of those in the Pregnant Yoga class of Chris In Brighton's wife, he's unable to steer his effort on target.

76 min: "Pass on my thanks for all the offers of company tonight Barry," writes Jack Burns. "Did you notice that they all came from people who can be pretty sure I won't be able to accept. And you can tell Jesualdo Ferreira that there is no Dog & Whistle near Tesco. At least, I don't think there is, I'm not up that way often, hang on! Jesualdo Ferreira isn't really on his way to Carlisle is he? Five Live isn't too bad, Alan Green aside, Pat Nevin is on and he's always good value. Why don't you get him in at the Guardian? If he's good enough for Newsnight Review ..."

77 min: Manchester United substitution: Anderson off, Paul Scholes on. Porto win a corner which is flighted across the edge of the six-yard box. Van Der Sar comes for it and doesn't get it, leaving Raul Meireles with a free-header oin a virtually unguarded goal. Wide.

79 min: By the way Jack Burns, I'm a big fan of Pat Nevin, but think his appearance on Newsnight Review to discuss The Damned United smacked of tokenism and was insulting both to him and his fellow guests. He should have appeared only on condition that they got him back some other night when there wasn't a football-related topic up for debate. Nevin's a smart, opinionated bloke with plenty of interests outside football and could wax lyrical on end of topics.

81 min: Rooney has a crack from distance, but his effort fizzes over the bar. Moments previously, Van der Sar shanked a clearance after the ball took a horrible bobble just before he made contact. That could have been very embarrassing.

83 min: Porto pile on the pressure without creating any goalscoring chances. Mariano Gonzales skins Evra down the right wing and sends in a cross that has far too much pace on it.

84 min: Nervous times for Manchester United. Lisandro picks up a cross from Gonzalez and fires straight at Edwin van der Sar from 13 yards when a more considered shot either side of the goalkeeper would almost certainly have seen Porto through to the semi-finals.

86 min: Corner for Manchester United, which Giggs swings in from the left. He wins another one, which he's in no rush to take.

87 min: Giggs sends this outswinger to an area of the Porto box populated almost entirely by home players. One of them sends a header straight into the path of Anderson, who fires over the bar.

88 min: Another cross from the left from Gonzalez. Lisandro gets his head to it, but it's too high for himn to be able to control. He flicks it over John O'Shea, out to the left channel, into the path of ... nobody.

89 min: Hulk tries a shot from distance. Wide. There'll be three minutes of added time.

90 min: "Five Live commentator Alan Green reckons he could write a book on Carlos Tevez and Ferg's refusal to play him in big games," writes Guardian cub reporter Mikey Stafford, who isn't paid enough to be able to afford either a Sky subscription or a trip to the pub ... or indeed basic food and shelter. "There's your stocking filler sorted for this Christmas. The definition of 'page-turner' right there."

90+2 min: Cristiano Ronaldo brings a good save out of Helton with a low drive.

90+2 min: Thomas Costa knocks it long for Porto and Hulk beats Ferdinand in the air. Nemanja Vidic cleans up at the back. Behave.

90+3 min: It's all over. Manchester United become the first English team to beat Porto in their own manor and will meet Arsenal in the semi-final. "Pregnancy yoga for men? You've been at the Guardian too long," writes Chris Moore. He's not wrong.