Porto thrash Basel to reach quarter-finals

Porto's Yacine Brahimi (C) celebrates his goal against FC Basel with his teammates during their Champions League round of 16 second leg soccer match at Dragao stadium in Porto, March 10, 2015. [Photo/Agencies]

PORTO - Four stunning strikes helped Porto reach the quarter-finals of the Champions League with a thumping and thoroughly deserved 4-0 win over a flat Basel side on Tuesday that gave them a 5-1 aggregate success.

The Portuguese side, who along with Chelsea are the only unbeaten teams in this season's competition, took the lead with an excellent first-half free kick from Yacine Brahimi, which set the tone for an evening of superb long-range efforts.

His opener was followed by equally impressive second-half strikes from Hector Herrera, Casemiro and Vincent Aboubakar with all four of the goals coming from outside the penalty area.

Porto were without their top scorer Jackson Martinez, but the Colombian's replacement, Cameroonian Aboubakar had an excellent game, causing Walter Samuel and Fabian Schaer in the Basel rearguard endless trouble.

After a period of early pressure, Basel were pegged back and the opening goal of a frenetic first half came after just 14 minutes.