Story so far: FC Porto

Competing in the UEFA Champions League group stage for the 19th time – matching a competition record – an FC Porto team inspired by Jackson Martínez and Yacine Brahimi were sure of a round of 16 place after four games. They also broke club records for the most goals scored in a group stage and their biggest win in the competition.

Story so far
Third in Portugal in 2013/14, Porto had to negotiate a play-off tie against LOSC Lille to reach the UEFA Champions League group stage, starting as they meant to go on with a 6-0 home win against FC BATE Borisov – their biggest ever UEFA Champions League success.

Jackson Martínez came off the bench to score twice and salvage a 2-2 draw at FC Shakhtar Donetsk on matchday two, before a pair of wins – 2-1 at home and 2-0 away – in the double-header against Athletic Club sealed the Dragons' progress. They moved top of Group H with a 3-0 win at BATE, and Vincent Aboubakar's matchday six equaliser against Shakhtar ensured a seeded position in the round of 16 draw.

Pivotal moment
Porto had already missed a first-half penalty when they saw Luiz Adriano put Shakhtar 2-0 up in Ukraine with five minutes to go. Defeat looked certain, but the Dragons rallied. On as a 65th-minute substitute, Jackson Martínez converted another penalty, and the Colombian forward then tapped in at the near post in the fourth minute of added time to earn a morale-boosting draw. Julen Lopetegui's side made it look easy from then on.

Key player: Jackson Martínez
Five goals in five group stage matches – plus one in the play-offs – were a measure of the form of the man who has been Liga top scorer for the last two seasons. He scored in both games against BATE, twice against Shakhtar and then got the opener in the matchday four win in Bilbao. Five goals matches his combined total for the last two group stages.

Rising star: Yacine Brahimi
A summer signing from Granada CF, the Algerian FIFA World Cup star scored a beautiful free-kick against LOSC and an outstanding hat-trick – including another amazing set-piece finish and a brilliant solo goal – against BATE to mark his group stage debut. He ended the group stage with four goals, having been rested on matchday six.

Number: 16
Never in their previous 18 campaigns in the UEFA Champions League had Porto scored so many goals in a group stage. Their previous best was 12, back in 1996/97, and this season only Chelsea FC – with 17 goals – outscored the Dragons.

Quote
"I did not expect to be through after only four matches. That is unusual, and is something only great teams can do, so we are happy. We played well and I have to congratulate my team."
Lopetegui marks his side's early booking for the round of 16

Next challenge: FC Basel 1893
(Away: 18 February, home: 10 March)
Porto have been beaten only once in six fixtures with Swiss teams, succumbing 3-0 at Grasshopper Club in their 1980/81 UEFA Cup second round second leg for a 3-2 aggregate reverse. They have won three of the other five games.