Porto exited the Champions League in the round of 16 at the hands of Juventus by a 3-0 aggregate scoreline after finishing both legs with only 10 players due to red cards.
And Porto manager Nuno Espirito Santo was left asking what might have been following Alex Telles' red card in a 2-0 loss at home in the first leg and Maxi Pereira's ejection in Wednesday's 1-0 loss in Turin.
The Portuguese Liga outfit still turned in a spirited display in the tie despite playing more than 100 minutes over the two legs with just 10 men.
"Without doubt the two red cards had a big influence," Santo told a news conference following the match. "Tonight we played some good football and were consistent in defence. We wanted to score two goals and the team did well. We didn't suffer until the red card and who knows how it would've gone if we had been able to play 11 against 11.
"Thank you to all the fans who cheered us on. We did all we could in the circumstances. I don't know if we could've scored three goals here tonight, but Juve kept possession and we needed to be consistent in midfield.
"I think we deserved at least one goal in the tie. It was a difficult tournament for us, we overcame some tough obstacles, but overall it was the right path to take.
"Our young players gained experience and next year we'll be better prepared. Moral victories don't really count.
"I think Juve are a great team. They've been working with the same coach and almost all the same players for a while now, so they are one of the top candidates to win the Champions League."