Porto vs Arsenal Match Analysis & Prediction
21/02/2024 11:00 pm
Ending a seven-game exile from the Champions League knockout stages, Arsenal make the trip to Portugal for the first leg of their last-16 tie with FC Porto on Wednesday night.
The Gunners topped Group B to set up a reunion with Sergio Conceicao’s side, who sneaked into the knockout rounds through a second-placed finish in Group H behind Barcelona.
With both Benfica and Braga forced to continue their continental campaigns in the Europa League due to third-placed finishes in the Champions League group stage, Porto are the only Portuguese side left standing in this competition, reaching the elimination rounds for the sixth time in the last seven seasons.
Porto secured four wins from four against Royal Antwerp and Shakhtar Donetsk, and even though they possessed a superior goal difference to Barcelona, their inferior head-to-head record saw them settle for the runners-up position.
On account of the 12-point haul, Porto have another chance to right several wrongs in the Champions League, having failed to progress further than the last eight since the 1993-94 competition, and their 2022-23 campaign ended at this stage through a 1-0 aggregate defeat to Inter Milan.
Throughout their 10-game unbeaten run on home turf, Porto’s defence has been breached just five times, but a merciless Arsenal came up with an identical number of goals in just 90 minutes during a rain-soaked Premier League encounter with Burnley on Saturday.
Sevilla, Lens and PSV Eindhoven did not exactly provide glamorous opposition, but Arsenal stuck to the task at hand and secured top spot with a game to spare, while conceding just four goals across their six matches.
However, each of those four goals conceded by Arsenal came away from home, and the Gunners have been plagued by the last-16 hoodoo ever since the 2010-11 campaign, suffering seven straight eliminations at this stage before their spell in the Europa League doldrums.
Porto vs. Arsenal Head to head
In the six previous meetings between these two teams, Porto have claimed two victories while Arsenal have won three, and they have drawn once. Arsenal have scored 12 goals and conceded four in the process.
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06/12/2006Porto0Arsenal0Champions League
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30/09/2008Arsenal4Porto0Champions League
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10/12/2008Porto2Arsenal0Champions League
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17/02/2010Porto2Arsenal1Champions League
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09/03/2010Arsenal5Porto0Champions League
Porto Team News
Left-back Zaidu Sanusi was stretchered off in the 32nd minute against Estrela at the weekend with a complete anterior cruciate ligament rupture, ruling him out for the remainder of the season.
Conceicao should call upon Jorge Sanchez to join the hosts’ defensive shield, which still holds 40-year-old veteran Pepe.
Porto's Last 5 Matches
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20/01/2024Porto5Moreirense0Primeira Liga
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28/01/2024Farense1Porto3Primeira Liga
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03/02/2024Porto0Rio Ave0Primeira Liga
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12/02/2024Arouca3Porto2Primeira Liga
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17/02/2024Porto2Estrela0Primeira Liga
Arsenal Team News
Emile Smith Rowe was back from an ankle concern in time to make the bench against Burnley, but none of Gabriel Jesus (knee), Oleksandr Zinchenko (calf) or Takehiro Tomiyasu (knock) remain doubtful.
Jurrien Timber is also on the mend from an ACL injury, although he has been named in the squad for the knockout rounds, while Thomas Partey (thigh) and Fabio Vieira (groin) are closing in on comebacks.
Arsenal's Last 5 Matches
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20/01/2024Arsenal5Crystal Palace0Premier League
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30/01/2024Nottingham Forest1Arsenal2Premier League
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04/02/2024Arsenal3Liverpool1Premier League
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11/02/2024West Ham United0Arsenal6Premier League
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17/02/2024Burnley0Arsenal5Premier League
Porto vs. Arsenal: Odds and Predictions
Main Prediction
1X2: 2
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