Club Brugge KV vs FC Porto prediction: EUROPE: Champions League – Group Stage betting tips on match 2022-10-25 16:45.
After three decades of frustration, it was âtenth time luckyâ for Club Brugge on matchday four, as a 0-0 stalemate against AtlĂ©tico Madrid finally sealed their passage to the UEFA Champions League (UCL) knockouts. In turn, Brugge now need just one point in this match against second-placed Porto to secure first place in Group B and home advantage against a group runner-up for the last 16âs second-leg fixtures.
Despite falling further behind in the title race back in Belgium after dropping points in two of their last four top-flight games (W2, D1, L1), Brugge did thrash Porto 4-0 on their own patch earlier in the campaign. The Blauw-Zwart should be more than capable of getting the result they need here, and many will expect another clean sheet if they do, with Brugge now the only side left in the competition yet to concede a goal.
Porto have improved since that drubbing though, with two successes over Bayer Leverkusen (5-0 agg.) reviving their flagging hopes of progression. A revenge win against Brugge would put the DragĂ”es within a point of the group leaders, and it would also ensure their last-16 spot too, provided that AtlĂ©tico Madrid then fail to beat Leverkusen at home in the eveningâs later game.
The Portuguese champions know just how important European success could be already, with a 1-0 derby loss to Benfica last Friday leaving them six points adrift of the Primeira Liga summit. But sadly for Porto, any relief from their domestic woes likely wonât come on the road in Europe, with a shot-shy Porto seeing three of their four UCL away goals come via second-half penalties.
Key battle: Having averaged 5.5 saves per match in Group B so far, Brugge goalkeeper Simon Mignolet is clearly determined to make his side the first team ever to go through a UCL group unbreached. A worthy opponent for the 2019 UCL gold medalist is Portoâs Galeno, who made it onto the scoresheet in both wins against Leverkusen.
Hot stat: Just one of Portoâs last 15 clashes with Belgian sides have seen both teams score before half-time.