Albion defender Leon Balogun has offered support to Porto striker Moussa Marega after he claimed he was a victim of racist abuse by Vitoria Guimaraes fans.

Marega walked off the pitch in the 69th minute, nine minutes after scoring what proved to be the winner in Porto’s 2-1 victory on Sunday night.

Opposition players and some of Marega’s team-mates tried to persuade him to stay on, even grabbing him round the waist.

Marega pointed his thumbs down and raised his middle fingers to the crowd as he walked off.

The striker had been on loan at Vitoria Guimaraes in 2016/17, where he scored 14 goals in 31 games in all competitions.

Albion’s Balogun, who is on loan at Championship side Wigan until the end of the season, wrote on Twitter: “He must have felt like the loneliest person in that moment. Let down by his team mates! I don’t know if you see this my brother @marega91, but I stand with you.

“Respect for walking off and standing up, not just against those idiots but your team mates as well!” #MaregaTheBrave”