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'Never play again': Porto player crucified over 'moment of madness'

andrew reid
·4-min read
Seen here, Porto's Medhi Tarremi is given his marching orders against Juventus.
Porto's Medhi Tarremi received two yellow cards in as many minutes against Juventus. Pic: Getty

Porto's Mehdi Taremi has been condemned by football fans after a second half brain explosion in his side's Champions League round of 16 second leg against Juventus.

The Portuguese side went into the crucial tie in Turin leading 2-1 after the first leg at home.

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Goals to Taremi and Moussa Marega gave Porto a slender lead heading into the second leg, with Federico Chiesa's goal giving Juventus a crucial away goal.

However, the task for the Italian giants was made more difficult when Porto opened the scoring via a first half spot kick.

Merih Demiral clattered into the back of Taremi in Juve's box, with the referee given a fairly straightforward decision to award the spot kick.

Sergio Oliveira made no mistake to dispatch the penalty for his 16th goal this season, in all competitions.

Less than three minutes after the halftime break, Juventus pulled a goal back in extraordinary fashion when Cristiano Ronaldo played a ball back to Federico Chiesa, who curled it expertly into the top corner.

Taremi then went from first leg hero to second leg villain after an inexplicable brain explosion midway through the second half.

With his side still 3-2 up on aggregate and heading to the quarter-finals as it stood, the Porto man picked up his first yellow for a foul in the 52nd minute.

Two minutes later he was sent off after receiving another yellow card for kicking the ball away well after the referee had already blown for another foul.

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The ridiculous passage of play saw Taremi absolutely crucified by football fans on social media.

Juventus soon seized upon their numerical advantage to go ahead on the night and level the tie at 3-3 on aggregate.

Juan Cuadrado's excellent ball from deep found Chiesa at the back post and the Italian's header was too hot for Agustin Marchesin to handle.

Juve pushed for the winner with Cuadrado hitting the woodwork and Alvaro Morata having a goal ruled out for offside before fulltime as 10-man Porto dug deep to send the match into extra time.

Juventus saw a penalty claim waved away in the first period of extra time when Ronaldo went down in the box.

The Portuguese superstar raced onto a through ball but was sent sprawling by Marchesin after the Porto keeper raced out of his box.

VAR saw no issues with the referee's initial call despite replays suggesting Porto may have been fortunate not to concede a penalty.

Oliveira gave 10-man Porto an unlikely lead late in stoppage time when he snuck a free kick under the Juventus wall and past the outstretched hand of goalkeeper Wojciech Szczęsny.

The strike meant Juventus needed two late goals to progress and the home side pulled one back almost instantly.

Frenchman Adrien Rabiot rose high to steer a header home for Juventus and set up a grandstand finish.

The hosts threw everything at the Porto goal in the dying stages, with Juve earning a late free kick in time added on.

Marchesin was forced into a fine save amid a frantic scramble in the Porto box but the visitors held on to seal their place in the quarter-finals on away goals after the tie ended 4-4 on aggregate.

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