(AP Photo/Petros Karadjias)

Porto wins 1-0 to advance to knockout round

NICOSIA, Cyprus (AP) Falcao scored a late goal Tuesday for FC Porto to win 1-0 at APOEL Nicosia and progress to the knockout round of the Champions League.

The Colombian striker scored in the 85th minute when he fooled a defender at the edge of the box and hit a low strike past goalkeeper Dionisios Chiotis into the corner of the net.

Porto is second in Group D with nine points, one behind Chelsea. Both teams have advanced after Chelsea drew 2-2 with Atletico Madrid. Atletico has two points and APOEL has one.

FC Porto's Hulk beat the offside trap in the 30th minute but he couldn't get around Chiotis, who raced out to smother the ball.

Falcao had another chance when the ball fell to him in the box, but Chiotis made a diving save to stop the shot.

APOEL tried to dictate the pace and did well to contain Porto's quick attackers who were mostly held to long-range efforts in the first half.

In the 16th, Raul Meireles' shot from 25 meters (yards) deflected off a defender's leg, but Chiotis saved well.

Hulk also came close in the 25th when his low, bouncing cross was mishandled by Chiotis, but the ball trickled just wide of the post.

APOEL's best chance in the first half came in the 14th when Serbian striker Nenad Mirosavljevic dummied a defender in the box, turned and shot high for the top right corner, forcing Porto goalkeeper Helton into a diving save.

Porto piled on the pressure in the second half and created several good scoring chances, but APOEL didn't buckle and also threatened at the other end.

Hulk also figured prominently in the second half, with his speed causing havoc in the APOEL defence. In the 77th, he embarked on a speedy run from the left flank before shooting just wide of the far post from almost point-blank range.

Mirosavljevic missed a couple of chances for APOEL in the second half. On the hour mark he failed to connect with Constantinos Charalambides' cross from the right flank and then 10 minutes later he was set up by substitute Nectarios Alexandrou's low cross but he could only direct a weak shot from 13 meters (yards) out straight at Helton.

Updated November 3, 2009