Pompey make winning start

Pompey make winning start

Portsmouth beat Guimaraes 2-0 in their first European game in their history to boost their chances of reaching the group stage of the UEFA Cup.

Lassana Diarra and Jermain Defoe both found the net and there were also two penalty misses in an entertaining clash at Fratton Park.

Pompey boss Harry Redknapp named the same side that had finished Saturday's victory against Middlesbrough after John Utaka passed a fitness test on his injured knee.

Guimaraes, third in the Portuguese League last season behind champions FC Porto and second-placed Sporting Lisbon, moved into the UEFA Cup after losing to Basel in the third qualifying round of the Champions League.

Portsmouth dominated the first half and almost took the lead when Peter Crouch found Defoe whose right-foot shot was superbly tipped over the bar by Correia Junior Nilson.

Utaka also went close before Pompey broke the deadlock in the 39th minute. Diarra and Defoe combined well before the former lashed the ball home.

The visitors had a great chance to draw level three minutes later when Sol Campbell was harshly adjudged to have brought down Calmon Felix Roberto but Joao Fajardo blasted the resulting penalty over the crossbar.

Shortly after half-time Defoe's own spot-kick was saved by Nilson after the former West Ham United and Tottenham striker had been brought down by Joao Moreno.

However, Defoe was soon on the scoresheet volleying home the impressive Nadir Belhadj's 60th-minute cross to give Portsmouth a two-goal advantage to take to Portugal for next month's second leg.