FC Porto vs Arsenal prediction: EUROPE: Champions League – Play Offs betting tips on match 2024-02-20 20:00.
It’s been nearly two decades since Porto famously lifted the UEFA Champions League trophy under the guidance of a baby-faced José Mourinho. That incredible run included eliminating Manchester United, but since then, the Dragons have lost all seven of their two-legged ties with English opposition. Sérgio Conceição is the man tasked with ending that hoodoo, as in-form Arsenal visit the Dragão for this first leg Round of 16 tie.
This first meeting could be all-important, as Porto have never won in England (D3, L18), losing eight of their last nine trips. The hosts ought to be confident here though considering they’ve won 12 of their last 17 UCL home matches (D1, L4), while they’ve been beaten just once across their last ten matches in all competitions (W7, D2) – both records they’ll need to live up to if they’re to progress past this stage for the first time since 2021.
There are very few sides in Europe who can rival Arsenal’s current form, as the Gunners have opened a calendar year with five successive league wins for the first time ever. Mikel Arteta’s men have also won back-to-back away matches by 5+ goals, keeping them firmly in the hunt for a first league title since the Invincibles in 2004.
Transferring that form into Europe is the goal as Arsenal look to end a record streak of seven consecutive eliminations at this stage of the Champions League. The last time they progressed from the Round of 16, they beat Porto to do it back in 2009/10, but even then they lost the first leg on Portuguese soil. Just one win here from nine trips there suggests the Gunners could struggle, yet a strong recent record on their European travels (W12, D5, L3) makes the visitors favourites here.
Players to watch: Fresh from scoring and assisting in a 2-0 league victory at the weekend, Galeno returns to the Champions League where he directly contributed to seven goals in just five group games (G4, A3). Wing rival Bukayo Saka is in red-hot form of his own, scoring six times in his last four matches!
Hot stat: Only Real Sociedad (two) conceded fewer than Arsenal’s four goals in the Champions League group stage.