Vincent Aboubakar struck two first-half goals to spearhead Porto’s emphatic 5-2 win over Monaco and seal their place in the knockout stages of the Champions League.
The prolific Cameroonian striker took his season’s tally in all competitions to 17 in the one-sided game.
The win ensured RB Leipzig did not qualify for the knock-out stages. The German side were relying on Porto to slip up but ended up losing their tie against group winners Besiktas anyway.
Porto players celebrate their second goal as victory ensures the qualify through Group G
RB Leipzig needed to beat Porto’s result against Monaco to qualify through the group
Both Porto and Monaco were reduced to 10 men after Porto’s Felipe and Rachid Ghezzal were sent off for an undignified 38th-minute scuffle.
Knowing a win would guarantee them second place in Group G, Porto’s nerves were quickly settled when Aboubakar latched on to Yacine Brahimi’s through ball after nine minutes.
The powerful striker was in magnificent form, pouncing again in the 33rd minute when he cut in from the left edge of the box and shot beneath Diego Benaglio for his fifth goal of the Champions League campaign.
Porto striker Vincent Aboubakar celebrates scoring his side’s opening goal on Wednesday
Porto’s Felipe (centre) and Monaco’s Rachid Ghezzal (right) are sent off after coming together
Brahimi added a third just before halftime before Monaco captain Kamil Glik pulled one back with a 61st-minute penalty, given harshly for a handball from Ivan Marcano.
But Porto’s Brazilian fullback Alex Telles thundered home a 25-metre shot four minutes later.
Radamel Falcao nodded in a 78th-minute consolation against his old club before Tiquinho Soares struck again with another header for the home side with just two minutes remaining.
Alex Telles celebrates after scoring Porto fourth goal against bottom of the group Monaco
Meanwhile, RB Leipzig, who had to achieve a better result than Porto to finish second behind Group G winners Besiktas, were beaten by a last-minute strike from Brazil Under 23 international Talisca.
The goal came three minutes after the Bundesliga side, already down to 10 men, thought they had escaped defeat against the odds with a fine Naby Keita goal.
The Guinean international brought them back into a game that had looked lost when Stefan Ilsanker picked up his second yellow card in the 82nd minute for a cynical foul on Cenk Tosun.
Besiktas striker Alvaro Negredo converts from the penalty spot to put his side 1-0 ahead
Timo Werner scores for RB Leipzig but the goal was disallowed after he was adjudged offside
Yet Leipzig’s hopes of progressing had effectively been ruined after only 10 minutes when Alvaro Negredo put the Turkish side ahead from the penalty spot after a foul by Willi Orban on Jeremain Lens.
Although the home side dominated, they struggled to break down a defence inspired by the tremendous goalkeeping of Tolga Zengin, who made four outstanding saves.
Besiktas’s victory took their tally at the top of the group to 14 points, with Porto taking second spot on 10. Leipzig had to settle for third place and Europa League football on seven points.
For Monaco, their conclusive defeat only demonstrated how far they have fallen since their exciting young side was broken up after reaching the semi-finals last season.
Monaco’s loss demonstrated just how far they have fallen since last season’s run