Champions League: Arsenal vs Porto Live
Preview: Arsenal vs Porto
Arsenal vs Porto at the Emirates on Tuesday at 8:00pm gives the gunners the chance to come back from a 1-0 deficit against Porto in the second leg of their last-16 Champions league match. Mikel Arteta’s team almost secured a goalless draw in the first leg but were ultimately defeated by a remarkable last-minute goal from Galeno.
After securing a 2-1 victory against Brentford in the Premier League, placing them at the top of the table, the gunners are now focused on overcoming a 1-0 deficit against Porto in the Champions League last 16 match. Despite a history of being eliminated from nine out of their last ten UCL ties where they lost the first leg, there was an exception in 2009/10 against Porto.
The gunners managed to win the second leg 5-0, part of a series of three consecutive home victories with clean sheets, all by significant margins to progress within 90 minutes. Their strong performance at home in the UCL this season, winning all three group matches with a combined score of 12-0, provides confidence that they could reach their first UCL quarter-final since 2009/10.
After defeating Portimonense 3-0 on Friday, the away side continues to chase the league leaders in the top division of Portuguese football. This win extended their unbeaten streak to six games across all competitions, with four clean sheets during this period. However, securing another clean sheet in their upcoming match seems unlikely, especially considering Arsenal’s strong recent performances.
Additionally, the away side has never won against an English club on their away matches, with a record of three draws and eighteen losses. This poor record has contributed to their elimination from the last seven knockout ties against English teams. Overcoming this psychological barrier will be a significant challenge for Porto as they aim to advance to the quarter-finals of the UEFA Champions League for the first time since the 2020/21 season.
Head-to-head
In their previous nine encounters, Arsenal emerged victorious in four matches, while FC Porto won three. Arsenal has won all four matches against FC Porto at this venue.
Prediction
Porto’s strong defense may have prevailed against Arsenal’s ineffective offense in the first match, but the gunners likely gained important insights from that game. Arsenal has shown a different level of performance in Europe when playing in front of their home crowd. Although the away side has had an extra day of rest, they have struggled on English soil in the past. Therefore, we believe Arsenal will break their Champions League curse and advance to the quarter-finals.
