Porto travelled to Belarus to take on BATE Borisov knowing that victory would ensure that top spot in Group H would be in their own hands come the sixth and final matchday in two weeks.
After a drab opening half, the visitors' quality told in the second half as goals from Hector Herrera, Jackson Martinez and Cristian Tello sealed a 3-0 win.
Read how it all unfolded in our minute-by-minute updates below.
4.01pmGood afternoon everyone! It's matchday five in the 2014-15 Champions League and first up today there are two matches kicking off at the earlier time of 5pm GMT.
4.03pmOur feature match here takes place in Belarus as BATE try to keep their qualification hopes alive with an unlikely victory against Porto. The other early game sees CSKA Moscow take on Roma in Group E, a match you can follow with my colleague Alex Meyers by clicking here.
4.05pmOkey dokey, let's get down to it then. The team news is in for both sides and here it comes...
4.07pmBATE XI: Chernik; Gayduchik, Mladenovic, Tubic, Yablonski, Karnitski, A. Volodko, Olekhnovich, M.Volodko, Rodionov, Gordeychuk
Subs: Soroko, Polyakov, Aleksievich, Pavlov, Baga, Yakovlev, Signevich
Subs: Soroko, Polyakov, Aleksievich, Pavlov, Baga, Yakovlev, Signevich
4.09pmTwo change for the hosts, then, from their last Champions League outing - a 5-0 drubbing at Shakhtar. Maksim Volodko comes in for the suspended Amri Khagash after his red card in Ukraine, while up front Nikolai Signevich makes way for Vitali Rodionov.
4.11pmPORTO XI: Fabiano; Danilo, Martins Indi, Marcano, Alex Sandro, Casemiro, Brahimi, Herrera, Oliver Torres, Quaresma, Martinez
Subs: Andres Fernandez, Maicon, Ruben Neves, Quintero, Tello, Adrian Lopez, Aboubakar
Subs: Andres Fernandez, Maicon, Ruben Neves, Quintero, Tello, Adrian Lopez, Aboubakar
4.14pmPorto, meanwhile, make two changes from their 2-0 win at Athletic Bilbao on matchday four. In come Marcano and Quaresma for Maicon and Cristian Tello.
4.17pmThe Atlantic coast of Portugal must seem a long way away for the visitors tonight. It's around -4 degrees in Borisov.
Hoje não é só o Fabiano que joga de luvas! / Today, Fabiano won't be the only one playing with gloves! #FCPorto #UCL pic.twitter.com/vqDQbwlDaB
— FC Porto (@FCPorto) November 25, 2014
4.21pmREFEREE WATCH! The man in charge tonight is Romanian Ovidiu Hategan, who has overseen one other Champions League match this season.
4.24pmSupporters of BATE will certainly be fearing the worst this evening. Apart from their 2-1 win over Bilbao on matchday two, the Champions League has been absolutely miserable for them. If you add up the scores from the three games against Porto and Shakhtar (one against Porto, two against Shakhtar) they have lost 18-0! Eighteen!
4.27pmThey lost 6-0 in Portugal on the opening matchday before back-to-back hammerings at the hands of Shakhtar (7-0 at home, 5-0 away).
4.30pmSo that's 19 goals in total that Aleksandr Yermakovich's side have let in so far in the touranment. That's six more than any other team and they are well on course to break the record of 22 for the group stage that is shared by Dinamo Zagreb (2011-12) and Nordsjaelland (2012-13).
4.34pmPorto's 6-0 win in the reverse of this fixture was a record victory for them in the Champions League. Yacine Brahimi scored a hat-trick in that match and both he and Jackson Martinez have four goals in the group stage.
© Getty Images
© Getty Images4.37pmIn total, Porto have found the net 12 times so far in the group stage. That's eight more than they managed in the whole of last year's unsuccessful European campaign.
4.38pmOnly Group H rivals Shakhtar (14) and Group D side Borussia Dortmund (13) have scored more than Julen Lopetegui's men.
4.41pmBATE coach Yermackovich is confident that his side can avoid another pasting today. He said: "I believe that those 6-0, 7-0, 5-0 scorelines do not represent the the real difference in class between those teams and us. We could have played better, made more of a game of it. I believe we can take points off teams like these."
4.44pmEnough European form for the moment, how about how these two are getting on in their respective leagues? Well, BATE are on course to qualify for the Champions League again as they lead the Belarusian Premier League by nine points from Dinamo Minsk. Porto aren't having it all their own way in the Primeira Liga, though. They're third in the table, three points behind Benfica and two behind surprise package Vitoria Guimaraes.
4.48pmClick here to see how Group H and the rest of the Champions League looks going into matchday five. As you can see Porto are two points clear of Shakhtar at the top and if they both win tonight, it will be a huge match to decide who wins the group on December 10.
4.50pmPREDICTION TIME! Just 10 minutes until kickoff now at the 12,896-capacity Borisov Arena. It's ever so hard to imagine the home side getting anything out of this game, but I don't think it will be as convincing as the reverse. Porto to win 2-0.
4.52pmRemember, Ukrainian outfit Shakhtar are used to the cold, harsh conditions much more than Porto are so I don't expect the Portuguese side to do what they did and win 7-0 in Belarus.
4.54pm
Yacine Brahimi has completed more take-ons (7) inside the box than any other Champions League player this season. pic.twitter.com/lZGl4wQ0Sv
— Squawka Football (@Squawka) November 25, 2014
4.57pmIt's a decent atmosphere, even though the stadium is pretty empty, as the players emerge from the tunnel.
4.59pmBoth sides are in their home kits tonight. BATE all in yellow, Porto in blue and white.
0 minKICKOFF! We're underway in Borisov.
3 minIt's a decent start by the home side and a suspect one by the favourites. Porto struggle to clear the ball on the edge of their area and in the end BATE get off a shot through Aliaksandr Volodko that Fabiano gets down to save comfortable.
6 minPorto have had 60% possession early on but they've done absolutely nothing with it so far.
9 minAnother shot from the home side as Gordeychuk swipes at an inviting bouncing ball and sends it a long way over the bar.
10 minBOOKING! Marcano is cautioned for a rash challenge on Rodionov just outside the box on the right wing.
11 minBorisov tee the free kick up for Aliaksandr Volodko but he scuffs his shot horribly from 20 yards. The ball almost breaks favourably in the area, but Martins Indi is alert and hoofs it clear.
14 minAlthough it's been an encouraging start for BATE, their passing hasn't been great. Check out this graphic from Squawka:
BATE starting out sloppy vs. FC Porto - the home side completed just 59% of their passes in the opening 10 minutes. pic.twitter.com/3BvtMRLlaI
— Squawka Football (@Squawka) November 25, 2014
17 minI've been really impressed with BATE's work rate here. They're harassing Porto whenever they can and really getting the crowd into it.
19 minPorto, meanwhile, have barely been anywhere near the Borisov area. Home keeper Chernik just had to collect a simple cross but that's the first time he's been called into action.
23 minBrahimi tries to find Herrera on the edge of the box but his pass is a little behind the Mexican. The former, who scored a hat-trick in the reverse remember, has been a little off-colour early on.
25 minDear me. Quaresma works himself into a decent crossing position on the right flank but then slices his centre high and out for a goal kick. The pitch is far from perfect, but that was poor.
28 minThis time Quaresma does provide a threat and it's the first time that Porto have looked like scoring. He receives the ball out on the right before cutting back onto his left foot and digging out a cross towards Martinez at the back post. Gayduchik defends it well.
30 minKarnitsky lets fly from a 30-yard free kick for BATE. That was never coming back down under the crossbar.
31 minQuaresma with another inviting cross that would have been picked out Brahimi for a tap-in but for another interception by Gayduchik.
33 minChernik comes a long way off his line to pluck Alex Sandro's cross from the left out of the air. It's a strong claim, but he does drop the ball and is lucky that there's no Porto player near him to take advantage.
35 minBrilliant from Porto skipper Martinez, apart from the finish! He receives a pass from Sandro with his back to goal before using his strength to roll around the defender and open up a shot at goal. The ball gets caught a little under his feet, though, and he can only spoon it high and wide.
36 minPorto keeper Fabiano gets away with a blunder as he miskicks a clearance straight to a yellow shirt. Luckily for him, Rodionov, who was challenging him for the ball, was offside.
37 minRodionov does well to pick out Yablonski's run on the edge of the area but the latter can't make a sweet connection and hits it a long way wide.
40 minIt doesn't really look like anyone will at the moment!
#OnThisDay in 1992, Jaime Magalhães scored FC Porto's first goal in the #UCL. Who will score today at Borisov Arena? pic.twitter.com/QsXBkpfN85
— FC Porto (@FCPorto) November 25, 2014
41 minBOOKING! Free kick for Porto dead centre about 25 yards out after Gayduchik slid in and caught Quaresma.
43 minJUST WIDE! Brahimi tries to curl it around the wall and into the near corner but he never really worried Chernik. It was a decent effort, but the keeper would have saved it had it had enough bend to get on target.
5.44pmThere's just been a goal in the other early game and it's come from the ever-reliable Francesco Totti. More with Alex here.
45 minBOOKING! Olekhnovich becomes the second player to be yellow-carded for taking out Martinez.
45+1 minHALF-TIME: BATE 0-0 PORTO
5.48pmWell, that's 45 minutes of my life I'll never get back! I can't say it was an exhilarating half, far from it in fact. Things can only get better though, right?
5.52pmBATE will certainly be happy with their first-half display. Last time they played a Champions League game at home they were 6-0 down at the break against Shakhtar!
5.55pmThe home side have had six shots to Porto's two. None of them have been particularly threatening though and just one in total has been on target. Sort it out eh lads!
5.58pmBATE, remember, have to win this game to stand any chance of reaching the knockout stage. When they do push forward and go for it in the second half, Porto should be able to cause problems on the counter-attack.
46 minKICKOFF! No changes from either manager at the break. We're back underway. I've had a couple of Custard Creams and can't wait for this half now.
48 minAnother loose pass by Brahimi. He has certainly not been on top form this evening.
51 minQuaresma tries his luck from outside the area with his left foot and pulls his effort well wide of the target. Porto's struggles when shooting continue.
52 minTaxi for Quaresma! Like he did in the first half, the winger awfully skies a cross miles out of play. He looks down at the turf but there's no excuse for getting it that wrong.
54 minGordeychuk with an impressive surge forward from midfield. The Porto defence recovers and Gordeychuk can't try to find Rodionov because he's stood a long way offside.
56 minGOAL! BATE 0-1 PORTO (HERRERA)
56 minGoodness gracious me, what a hit! It's Porto's first shot on target and what an unbelievable strike. Herrera gets the ball on the right and proceeds to dip and swerve a gorgeous effort past Chernik into the net. Perhaps the BATE keeper could have done better, but I wouldn't have blamed him if he was half-asleep given how little Porto had threatened before that.
58 minSAVE! Porto have come alive and go close to a second on the counter-attack as right-back Danilo cuts inside and hits a shot with his left foot that Chernik holds well.
61 minBOOKING! Yablonski becomes the third BATE player to be cautioned by the Romanian referee.
63 minReally good play by BATE in some tight space down the right that releases Aliaksandr Volodkov to burst through in the middle. He has two options to his left but underhits his pass terribly.
65 minGOAL! BATE 0-2 PORTO (MARTINEZ)
65 minThis is another lovely goal, Porto's quality is really starting to show. Herrera picks out Brahimi on the left with an outside-of-the-boot pass and then controls the Algerian's cross with his back to goal before laying off to Martinez who strokes it into the far corner. Great goal.
67 minBATE SUB: A first change this afternoon as Karnitsky is replaced by Dmitri Baga.
69 minSandro is extremely lucky not to be booked after hacking at Aliaksandr Volodko's legs in the corner. Completely unnecessary.
71 minSUBS: Both sides make a change. For Porto, Quaresma comes off for Tello, whlie it's Mladenovic off and Ilya Aleksievich on for the home side.
73 minBATE are understandably trying to get forward whenever they can but that's just freeing up more space for Porto on the break. Brahimi has had a much better second half than first with more room out on the left wing.
75 minBATE SUB: Third and final change for the home side as Rodionov comes off for Nikolay Signevich.
78 minGreat chance for BATE on the counter-attack but they can't make it count as, yet again, the final ball is poor.
81 minYablonski brings down Casemiro and the former Real Madrid man stays down in anguish but is soon back on his feet.
83 minPORTO SUB: No hat-trick for Brahimi today as he is replaced by Adrian Lopez.
85 minCLOSE! Fabulous cross from the right by Herrera, who has really been the difference in this second half. He puts it into such a dangerous area but Tello just can't quite reach it.
88 minDanilo acrobaticaly takes on a high bouncing ball with a volley but can't quite get on top of it. Porto are finishing this game in confident mood.
89 minGOAL! BATE 0-3 PORTO (TELLO)
89 minThat's the icing on the cake for the visitors as Herrera produces a fabulous pass inside the BATE left-back to Tello, who lifts it over Chernik to get on the scoresheet.
90 minPORTO SUB: Third and final change from Lopetegui as Martinez gets a short rest. Juan Quintero comes on.
90+1 minFour minutes of added time are signalled. As BATE have now conceded three goals, they've equalled the record amount of goals let in in the group stage (22) with one game to spare! They have to keep a clean sheet at Bilbao on matchday six to avoid becoming the all-time leakiest defence in the Champions League group stage.
90+3 minThis win for Porto, by the way, means that all they have to do back at home against Shakhtar in a couple of weeks is get a draw to come top of the group. If Shakhtar win tonight and in Portugal then they'll snatch it.
90+4 minFULL-TIME: BATE 0-3 PORTO
6.50pmThe visitors' quality told in the end then with three top-quality goals in the second half. They extend their lead at the top of the group to five points, with Shakhtar and Bilbao playing later.
6.53pmBATE can still secure third place and a spot in the Europa League. If Bilbao pull off an unlikely win in Shakhtar tonight then they will have to beat the Spanish side in two weeks. Anything else and all they'll need is a draw.
6.55pmAnyway, that's it from me this evening. Thanks for joining SM for our updates. Keep your eyes peeled for analysis and ratings of the match in Borisov, which will be up on site in the next hour.
