Two-time European champions Porto have opened their group stage campaign in the Champions League with a 6-0 thrashing of BATE Borisov in the Estadio do Dragao this evening.
The Portuguese side were ahead just five minutes into the clash as Yacine Brahimi opened the scoring on his way to a hat-trick.
Jackson Martinez, Adrian Lopez and Vincent Aboubakar were also on the scoresheet for the hosts.
Read how all the action unfolded below:
6.46pmGood evening! The group stage of the Champions League continues this evening. Two-time European Champions Porto host BATE Borisov in their opening match of the campaign. Both sides have already announced their teams, so let's start with a look at the squads...
6.48pmPORTO STARTING XI: Fabiano, Danilo, Indi, Maicon, Sandro, Casemiro, Brahimi, Herrera, Quaresma, Martinez, Lopez
6.50pmBATE STARTING XI: Chernik, Khagush, Filipenko, Mladenovic, Polyakov, Likhtarovich, Volodko, Aleksievich, Olekhnovick, Gordeychuk, Rodionov
6.52pmPORTO SUBSTITUTES: Fernandez, Marcano, Evandro, Neves, Quintero, Tello, Aboubakar
6.53pmBATE SUBSTITUTES: Soroko, Tubic, Karnitski, Baga, Volodko, Yakovlev, Signevich
6.56pmThere's a bit of a surprise from the hosts as Christian Tello is left on the bench, with Adrian Lopez starting ahead of him, while Yacine Brahimi is likely to be the team's main playmaker.
6.59pmMeanwhile, 36-year-old captain Dmitri Likhtarovich will lead the midfield for the Belarusian champions, while Vitali Rodionov provides their main threat up front.
7.02pmIn his pre-match press conference, Porto coach Julen Lopestiegui said: "It's going to be a tough match. We are in the group stage of the Champions League, so no game is going to be easy. Porto want to start well but it will be a hard match, they have a very good team. It's important for us and for every Champions League club to start well. BATE Borisov are a very strong team and our group will be very competitive. We will need to prepare well for each match. I can sense a will to win in the dressing room, the players want to be successful in this competition and are focused on doing things well."
7.05pmIn his briefing, BATE manager Aleksandr Yermokovich told reporters: "Porto are a very strong team but we know a lot about them. We are anxious to get out onto the pitch and get going. We are likely to base our game on a counterattacking approach, and try to win the match like that. We want to win and certainly didn't come here to lose. Porto have won the Champions League and the Europa League, but we are still thinking about winning here tomorrow. We don't have a player like Jackson Martínez, with his stature in Europe, but we have a very good team. We don't fear anyone."
7.08pmPorto were the top seeds in their group when the draw took place last month, and will be confident of progressing to the knockout stages. As well as BATE, the Portuguese side will face Shakhtar Donetsk and Athletic Bilbao in the campaign. However, they will be wary of slipping up again, having lost out to Zenit St Petersburg last season, leaving them to drop into the Europa League.
7.11pmIn fact, Porto will be looking for their first home win in the group stages since the 2012-13 season this evening, having failed to secure all three points in any of their matches at Estadio do Dragao last year. Their confidence in European competition will have been boosted by their progression in the qualifying round though, having knocked Lille out of the tournament.
7.14pmBATE Borisov are taking part in the groups for the fourth time in their history, and are the only club from Belarus ever to reach this stage of the competition. Although underdogs in Group H, BATE come into the campaign unbeaten in their last three group-stage outings, and with wins over Bayern Munich and Lille to their name in the last couple of years, so they are capable of causing an upset.
7.17pmFor the superstitious Porto supporter, this date bodes well for the hosts tonight, as they recorded one of their biggest wins in European competition against Ajax on this day 28 years ago.
#OnThisDay in 1986, Gomes scored a double brace and @FCPorto beat Rabat Ajax by 9-0, on the road to glory at Vienna. pic.twitter.com/ZVdSnmEbYX
— FC Porto (@FCPorto) September 17, 20147.20pmBoth team's have appointed new coaches since last season's group stage. Former Spain Under-21 coach Julen Lopetegui is now in charge at Porto, while former Borisov player Aleksandr Yermakovich recently took over at BATE. His last competitive match for the club was actually in the Champions League against Juventus during the 2008-09 campaign.
7.23pmAs we mentioned earlier, this is the fourth time that BATE have reached the groups, but they've never progressed further in the Champions League. They have dropped into the Europa League three times, twice from the qualifiers and once as the third-placed team from the groups, twice reaching the group of 32.
7.26pmBoth teams come into this match, which will be their first meeting, in strong form. Porto have lost just once in their last five matches, while BATE are on a 22-match unbeaten run in the Belarusian Premier League.
7.29pmDuring the recent transfer window, BATE lost playmaker Sergei Krivets to FC Metz in France, leaving Vitali Rodionov as the main goal threat for the visitors. By contrast, Porto kept hold of leading goalscorer Jackson Martinez, despite the forward being linked with a move away from the Portguese side.
7.33pmElsewhere is Group H this evening, Athletic Bilbao host Shakhtar Donetsk. There are eight Champions League fixtures taking place in total this evening, and you can follow live commentaries from all of them with Sports Mole.
7.36pmREFEREE WATCH! Dutch referee Bas Nijhuis takes charge of this clash. He's officiated in the Eredivisie since 2005, and took charge of his first Champions League match in 2007.
7.39pmJust a quick note on the weather before the players make their way out. It's currently a toasty 20C at the Estadio, with 88% humidity, so it could be a rather draining evening for the players.
7.42pmRight then, here come the teams. It's not the biggest crowd in Porto this evening, but those that have turned up are making plenty of noise as the players walk onto the pitch.
1 minKICKOFF! BATE get the match underway.
2 minNot a lot to tell you about from the opening couple of minutes as BATE try to keep the ball at the back following the kickoff, before Volodka looks to get forward. Lopez briefly wins it back for the hosts, but he can't create anything from it.
3 minBATE have the first corner of the match after Fabiano fails to control the ball, letting it bobble behind the Porto goal, Danilo is quick to head it away for the hosts though.
5 minGOAL! Porto 1-0 BATE Borisov (Yacine Brahimi)
5 minThat's one to forget for BATE goalkeeper Sergey Chernik as Jackson Martinez gets his first sight of goal, but sends the ball wide. The keeper throws the ball out towards one of his defenders, but he doesn't get enough on the throw, and it falls straight to the feet of Yacine Brahimi, who weaves in from the edge of the box before slicing it into the top corner.
7 minBOOKING! Dmitri Likhtarovich picks up the first yellow card of the evening for a late challenge on Casemiro.
10 minAny attacking prowess that BATE had shown in the opening moments of the match has deserted them as Porto are in complete control. The hosts force a corner, but Quaresma's delivery is quickly cleared.
12 minCHANCE! From nowhere BATE come close to getting back on level terms as Gordeychuk shows phenomenal pace to break from midfield before attempting to drill the ball in low, but Fabiano comes off his line to comfortably meet the shot.
13 minOFF THE POST! The home side come within a couple of inches of doubling their advantage as Brahimi lofts the ball in for Martinez, who was waiting at the far post, but he chips his shot onto the post.
16 minPorto are seemingly coasting as they just keep hold of the ball in midfield, with their back four up at the half-way line. Casemiro take a free kick when he's brought down by Olekhnovich in the middle, but his delivery goes harmlessly through to the keeper.
18 minRicardo Quaresma is unhappy as he's caught in the face by Filip Mladenovic while the two battle down the right wing. The referee awards the visitors the throw in rather than penalising the BATE defender, judging the clash to be accidental, but the replays suggest that the defender may have been more to blame than initially thought.
20 minPorto on looking dangerous again, with a through-ball dropping to Martinez just a couple of yards out. He tries to control it on the turn, but is flagged for offside before he can get the shot away.
21 minCHANCE! Martinez quickly puts the offside behind him as he looks to win a highball in the area, but Polyakov just gets there first to put it behind for the corner. Quaresma whips it in, but Chernik manages to punch clear.
23 minPENALTY APPEAL! Danilo wants a spot kick as he plays the ball in from the right flank before running into Yegor Filipenko on the edge of the area, but the referee is not impressed by his shouts, and waves for the hosts to play on.
26 minBrahimi bursts forward from midfield as Porto continue to looks the more threatening of the two sides. He passes to Alex Sandro, but the defender mis-hits his cross, slicing it behind for a BATE goal kick.
28 minCHANCE! A fantastic save from Chernik prevents the home side from doubling their advantage, with Sandro getting the cross spot on this time around, setting up Maicon for a header, but the keeper gets down low to make the stop.
30 minA slip up by Maicon gives Khagush the ball around 35 yards out, but Porto quickly organise themselves at the back to make sure that BATE do not get a shot on goal. It's one of the few touches the visitors have had int he Porto half since going a goal down.
32 minGOAL! Porto 2-0 BATE Borisov (Yacine Brahimi)
32 minWhile Bracimi's first came from a BATE error, the second is a sublime solo effort by the Algeria international as he sprint the length of the pitch before rifling the ball in from the centre of the box, leaving him on a hat-trick with just over half an hour gone.
35 minBrahimi is on the move again, attempting to dodge several defender on the edge of the box, Mladenovic stops him in his tracks to win the ball back for BATE.
37 minGOAL! Porto 3-0 BATE Borisov (Jackson Martinez)
37 minIt's another costly mistake by the Borisov defenders as Danilo avoids a hapless challenge from Khagush before sending in a superb cross, which Martinez meets with a fierce header at the near post. This is in danger of being a bit of a humiliation for the visitors.
40 minMartinez is looking for his second as he sprints to meet a cross from Quaresma, but the winger slices the ball too deep and it's easily claimed by the BATE keeper. You wouldn't bet against the hosts adding to their lead before the break though.
42 minThe visitors have a half-chance to reduce the deficit down the other end as Martins Indi gives away a careless free kick after colliding with Rodionov, but Likhtarovich's delivery is blocked by the wall.
45 minPorto just seem to be settling down as half time approaches, keeping the ball to see out the remaining moments of the opening spell, while BATE looks like they're struggling for ideas.
45 minHALF TIME: Porto 3-0 BATE Borisov
8.32pmThe referee possibly takes a little pity on the visitors as he decides not to add any stoppage time on to what has been a pretty dismal first half for BATE.
8.35pmWhile BATE have struggled, nothing should be taken away from Porto, who have produced three fantastic goals while barely breaking a sweat this evening. Yacine Brahimi opened the scoring just five minutes in, before adding a second shortly after the half-hour mark. Jackson Martinez made it three shortly after with a superbly-taken header at the near post to leave the Portuguese side in control.
8.39pmLet's take a look at some of the stats from the first half. Porto have seven shots, with five on target, compared to just one effort at goal for the visitors. The hosts also controlled the possession, seeing 69% of the ball. The referee has handed out just one yellow card so far, booking Dmitri Likhtarovich early on.
8.43pmWorryingly for BATE, Porto have some quality on their bench, with Cristian Tello, Juan Quintero and Evandro among the options open to Lopetegui this evening. With the team comfortably ahead though, the coach may choose to give his younger players a run out instead, with new signing Vincent Aboubakar and 17-year-old Ruben Neves among the substitutes.
8.45pmHere's Brahimi celebrating his opening goal with teammate Hector Herrera earlier this evening:
© Getty Images
8.46pmThe players are back out on the pitch ready for the second half.
46 minKICKOFF! Porto get the match back underway.
48 minNeither sides have made any changes over half time. Porto continue where they left off, dominating possession while trying to press forward, but Quaresma loses his footing while trying to squeeze a cross in, and the ball goes behind for a goal kick.
50 minCHANCE! BATE are certainly looking a bit brighter at the start of this second half, as they use the goal kick to move forward, with Olekhnovich putting a through-ball in for Aleksievich, but the striker's curling shot is well held by Fabiano.
52 minOFF THE CROSSBAR! Porto look to quash BATE's attacking style with a quick counter-attack, resulting in another chance for Martinez as he rises high to try and head in from a Quaresma cross, but he nods the ball into the crossbar. That's the second time the Colombian has been denied by the woodwork!
54 minSUB! With Porto now back in control, the visitors make the first change of the evening, with captain Likhtarovich making way for Andriy Volodko. On a side note, it's just started absolutely pouring with torrential rain.
57 minBOOKING! Olekhnovich is the second player to be shown a yellow card for hacking down Brahimi on the edge of the box.
57 minGOAL! Porto 4-0 BATE Borisov (Yacine Brahimi)
57 minYacine Brahimi completes his hat-trick inside the hour with a superbly taken free kick from just outside the box, expertly lifting the shot over the wall to pick out the top corner.
58 minCHANCE! It looks like Brahimi isn't just going to settle for he hat-trick, as he almost adds his fourth while scrambling for a loose ball in the box, but Chernik manages to turn the ball behind.
59 minSUB! Well Brahimi won't be getting a fourth, as he heads of to a standing ovation from the Porto fans. Evandro comes on in his place.
61 minGOAL! Porto 5-0 BATE Borisov (Adrian)
61 minJust moments after the hosts were denied a penalty when Jackson Martinez took a tumble in the box, Porto find their fifth, and it's a debut Champions League goal for summer signing Adrian, who lobs the ball over the keeper to coolly extend Porto's lead. With half an hour still to play, this could really be any score if Porto keep pushing!
64 minSUB! The hosts are making another change, with Jackson Martinez making way for Vincent Aboubakar, who joined the club from Lorient last month. Martinez will be a little aggrieved not to have scored more than once, having twice been denied by the woodwork.
67 minBATE try to take advantage of the changes by Porto to string a few passes together and build their confidence, but it really isn't happening for them tonight, as Quaresma quickly wins it back and forces a corner.
69 minSUB! Porto use their final substitution to take off Hector Herrera, bringing on new signing Cristian Tello, who many had expected to start this evening.
71 minSUB! The visitors also make a change, taking Vitali Rodionov, who has barely had a touch up front, to give young forward Nikolai Signevich a run out.
73 minAfter a fairly quiet spell by tonight's standards, Porto find themselves bearing down on the BATE goal again, with Vincent Aboubakar trying to get a shot away, but he scuffs the finish and it goes wide.
75 minBATE win just their second corner of the match, but Mladenovic's delivery is confidently punched away by Fabiano.
76 minGOAL! Porto 6-0 BATE Borisov (Aboubakar)
76 minFollowing Fabiano's clearance, the hosts quickly go on the counter, with Tello getting the better of a number of defender with some superb footwork on the edge of the box before curling it towards Aboubakar who takes a touch before driving past Chernik for his first goal in the Porto colours.
79 minCHANCE! Danilo hits the ball superbly as he tries to make it seven for the hosts, but Chernik makes the stop before Casemiro has an effort deflected over from the rebound.
81 minCHANCE! Chernik tries to punch clear from the corner, but his defender fail to help him out, allowing Maicon to try and drill the ball in low from the edge of the box, but his finish was just wide.
83 minPorto's attack has been relentless and they're not giving up now as Tello makes a superb run down the left, but the heavy rain we mentioned earlier has left the pitch a bit slippy, and he losing his footing while trying to complete the cross. Quaresma tries to hit on from range moments late, but it was always rising.
85 minBATE manage to complete a couple of passes as they try to set up a late consolation effort, but Karnitskiy gets a bit ahead of himself as he tries to fire in from 25 yards out, before his finish is wildly high and wide, ending up high in the stand behind the goal.
87 minCHANCE! BATE are genuinely looking like they might be able to get one back here, as they pile forward again, resulting in a decent effort from Mladenovic, but he couldn't quite curl it inside the top corner.
89 minThe visitors are certainly enjoying their best spell of possession of the match, as Karnitskiy tries to set up Yakolev for a late goal, but the pair get their timing all mixed up, resulting in the former firing the ball out for a throw.
90 minCHANCE! Porto try to end BATE's mini-resurgence with a quick burst down the other end, but Chernik manages to tip Tello's powerful strike behind for a corner. Quaresma, who hasn't had the best night as the corner-taker, curls the ball straight out behind for a goal kick.
90+3 minWith three minutes of stoppage time nearly up, Porto still have the ball and look like they're keen to set up one final chance.
90+4 minFULL TIME: Porto 6-0 BATE Borisov
9.35pmWell there will be no seventh goal for Porto, but the hosts will certainly be happy with the 6-0 scoreline, which is their biggest win in the history of the Champions League.
9.36pmGiven BATE's performance this evening, you can't held but feel they're really going to struggle in this group. However, the victory leaves Porto as the early leaders in Group H, with Bilbao and Shakhtar currently in the final moments of what looks like being a goalless draw.
9.38pmWell that's all from this match this evening, but stick around for match reports from all eight of this evening's Champions League matches, as well as analysis, player ratings and reaction. Also, don't forget to join us again tomorrow when the group stage of the Europe League gets underway. Thanks for joining me this evening, goodbye.
