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Rodriguez helps Porto beat Paris Saint-Germain 1-0

(AP Photo/Francisco Seco)

PORTO, Portugal (AP) .James Rodriguez scored late to give FC Porto a 1-0 win over Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday in the Champions League group stage.

The Colombian midfielder picked up a loose ball on the right flank and hit a curling a left-foot shot into the far corner of the net to break the deadlock in the 83rd minute of a game that produced few thrills.

Porto, which hasn't missed the tournament's knockout round since the 2005-06 season, went top of the group with two wins from two. PSG has one victory.

The pair are the most fancied clubs to advance from Group A. Dinamo Zagreb and Dynamo Kiev are the group's other teams.

The match was the biggest test so far this season for the big-spending French club as it squared up to a two-time European champion, but Carlo Ancelotti's team played tamely at Porto's Stadium of the Dragon.

Even though PSG has won its past five games in the French league to take second place, with Zlatan Ibrahimovic scoring six goals during that spell, the Swede lost his scoring touch in northern Portugal.

Ibrahimovic, who turned 31 Wednesday, had two chances in the first half but faded after the break.

He headed narrowly wide in the 12th after a defensive blunder by Porto gifted the French team possession. Soon after, he almost scored a freakish goal as Jeremy Menez looped the ball over the Porto defense which was waiting for an offside decision and Ibrahimovic flicked the ball towards goal for Helton to tip over.

Porto set the early pace, though. Joao Moutinho scraped the post with a shot from outside the area in the 17th, and Rodriguez had Salvatore Sirigu at full stretch 10 minutes later.

Jackson Martinez, twice, and Rodriguez squandered chances for Porto while Thiago Silva did the same at the other end in an uneventful second half.

Updated October 3, 2012

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