Rodriguez breaks PSG's resolve to send Porto top

LISBON (Reuters) - Colombian James Rodriguez hit a swerving left-footed winner with five minutes to go to hand Porto a 1-0 victory over Paris St Germain and give the Portuguese champions maximum points in Champions League Group A after two rounds.

Porto bossed PSG from the start, pressed high and controlled most of possession, relegating the Ligue 1 runners-up to occasional counter attacks.

Although Rodriguez's goal came late, there were plenty of chances for both sides. Porto could have gone ahead earlier through busy midfielder Joao Moutinho and Rodriguez, who both missed several chances.

"This was an important goal, I tried to score over and over again. Now we are favourites to go through but we have to do it step by step," the 21-year old Rodriguez told Portuguese radio.

PSG striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who turned 31 on Wednesday, also had two excellent chances of his own, which he wasted.

The Swede headed wide from playmaker Nene's cross. Then, after pulling clear of Porto's back four and with acres of space, he tried to lob the keeper with a neat first-touch back heel but a stretching Helton palmed the ball behind.

"Sure, we gave away a chance here and there but that's natural when playing against a good team like PSG," said Porto coach Vitor Pereira. "We passed the ball around, set the match's tempo and created plenty of chances with a lot of quality in attack and consistency at the back."

Porto and Portugal midfielder Moutinho should have scored after just four minutes but blasted wide with the goal at his mercy after PSG's defence gave the ball away cheaply.

The home side kept pressing in the second half and winger Varela wasted an easy chance after 60 minutes, denied by onrushing PSG keeper Salvatore Sirigu when put through on goal from a Moutinho pass.

Porto looked set for a disappointing stalemate until Rodriguez's breakthrough gave them a deserved win over the other group favourites.

"James's (Rodriguez) goal brought justice to the scoreline," Pereira said.

In the other Group A match, Dynamo Kiev beat Dinamo Zagreb 2-0 to go level on three points with PSG.

(Reporting by Daniel Alvarenga; Editing by Alison Wildey)