Terem Moffi and Zaidu Sanusi played decisive roles as FC Porto secured an important victory over VfB Stuttgart in the first leg of their UEFA Europa League Round of 16 encounter.
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Moffi opened the scoring for the Portuguese side in the 21st minute, finishing clinically to give Porto an early advantage. The Nigerian striker, who featured for 59 minutes, showed composure inside the box to convert the opportunity and put the visitors in control of the match.
Just six minutes later, Porto doubled their lead through Rodrigo Mora after a well-timed assist from Sanusi. The Nigerian left-back delivered a precise pass that allowed Mora to finish confidently and extend Porto’s advantage.
The hosts responded before the halftime break as Deniz Undav pulled one back for Stuttgart in the 40th minute, reducing the deficit and keeping the German side firmly in the contest heading into the second half.
Stuttgart continued to push for an equaliser after the restart, and their persistence appeared to pay off when Angelo Stiller found the back of the net in the 70th minute. However, celebrations were cut short after a VAR review ruled out the goal, denying the Bundesliga side a crucial leveller.
Despite late pressure from the home team, Porto held firm defensively to preserve their advantage and secure a valuable first-leg win ahead of the return fixture.
The result places Porto in a strong position as they prepare for the decisive second leg, with Moffi’s goal and Sanusi’s assist highlighting the significant contributions of Nigerian players on the European stage.
