Porto: Deportivo La Coruna go into Wednesday’s Champions League semi-final first-leg match at Porto knowing that they will probably not be able to rely on another late, great comeback against the pragmatic Portuguese.

Deportivo only made it through the quarter finals against holders AC Milan thanks to a heroic 4-0 victory at the Riazor after they lost the first leg 1-4 in Italy.

Porto may lack the brilliance of Milan but they are one of the most efficient sides in Europe and Deportivo coach Javier Irureta is anxious to see a more resolute first-leg performance from his side as they seek a place in the final against Monaco or Chelsea.

“I want to win in Portugal and we will need to play more like we did against Milan if we want to do that,” Irureta said after a tame 1-1 draw at home to Valladolid on Saturday effectively spelled the end of their league title bid.

“If we play like we did against Valladolid, we will come back from Porto having conceded a sackful of goals.

“I wasn’t satisfied with the effort of some of the players in that game. We didn’t have the necessary edge or concentration.”

Although Irureta was unhappy with his side’s display against Valladolid, he will at least have been satisfied to get through the game without any injuries, meaning he will be able to field a full-strength side against last season’s Uefa Cup winners.

Porto’s Jose Mourinho has become one of the most sought-after coaches in Europe after following up that Uefa Cup win with a run to the Champions League semi-finals this term.

The coach has an injury worry over Lithuanian striker Edgaras Jankauskas but he will be grateful for the return of defender Ricardo Costa, who will return after a month’s absence with an arm injury.

Mourinho believes that Deportivo’s extraordinary win over Milan will ease the pressure on his side for the home leg of the semi-final as it demonstrated that the tie would not be won or lost until the last second of the return.

“We’ll be able to play at home without feeling the need to win by two or three goals,” Mourinho said. “A victory by 1-0 would be an excellent result.”

While Deportivo are now out of the league title running in Spain, Porto are firmly on course for a successful defence of their title, with just three more points needed from their remaining three games.

Porto’s outstanding season has been based on a watertight defence, as well as the occasional piece of brilliance from playmaker Deco Souza, but Mourinho is wary of the threat from Deportivo after their thrilling victory over Milan.

“In midfield and attack Deportivo are very strong,” the Portuguese coach warned.

PROBABLE TEAMS

Porto: Vitor Baia; Paulo Ferreira, Jorge Ricardo Costa, Ricardo Carvalho, Nuno Valente, Francisco Costinha, Pedro Mendes, Maniche Ribeiro, Deco Souza, Carlos Alberto, Benni McCarthy.

Deportivo Coruna: Jose Molina; Manuel Pablo, Noureddine Naybet, Jorge Andrade, Enrique Romero; Victor, Sergio, Mauro Silva, Albert Luque; Juan Carlos Valeron, Walter Pandiani.