Arsenal vs Porto Preview & Prediction | 2023-24 UEFA Champions League | Quarter-Final
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THE FACTS
When is Arsenal vs Porto on and what time does it start? Arsenal vs Porto will take place on Tuesday 12th March, 2024 – 20:00 (UK)
Where can I get tickets for Arsenal vs Porto? Visit each club’s official website for the latest ticket information
What channel is Arsenal vs Porto on in the UK? Arsenal vs Porto will be televised live on TNT Sports in the UK
Where can I stream Arsenal vs Porto in the UK? Arsenal vs Porto can be streamed live on the discovery+
THE LOWDOWN
ARSENAL
In the calendar year of 2024, Arsenal have played ten matches across all competitions. They have won eight of those games, all in the Premier League, to move themselves to the top-of-the-table domestically but they were beaten 2-0 by Liverpool in the third round of the FA Cup and also lost the first-leg of this UEFA Champions League Round of 16 tie.
The north Londoners come into this one on the back of a hard-fought 2-1 defeat of Brentford at the Emirates Stadium at the weekend. Declan Rice gave Arsenal the lead in that match before Yoane Wissa forced Aaron Ramsdale into a mistake to level the scores and then a late Kai Havertz winner gave Arsenal their eighth successive league win.
PORTO
Prior to the first-leg, FC Porto were under enormous pressure as their ‘Os Tres Grandes’ rivals, Sporting CP and Benfica, began to run away from them in the Portuguese Primeira Liga title race. Whilst it remains a two-horse race in Portugal, Porto have majorly improved of late and will be really confident as they head to the Emirates Stadium.
Since that defeat of the Gunners at the Estadio do Dragao last month, Porto have annihilated arch-rivals Benfica by five goals to nil in ‘O Classico’ and they also now come into this one on the back of an impressive 3-0 defeat of Portimonense at the weekend as they continue their impressive and much-improved run of form.
THE TEAM NEWS
ARSENAL
The biggest selection decision for Mikel Arteta to make is a fairly obvious one as goalkeeper David Raya is expected to return to the starting line-up having been ineligible to face parent club Brentford on Saturday evening.
They are still without some key defenders, too, as Jurrien Timber remains out until the March international break at least, whilst Japanese international Takehiro Tomiyasu is also a doubt still.
PREDICTED XI (4-3-3): David Raya; White, Saliba, Gabriel, Kiwior; Rice, Jorginho, Odegaard; Saka, Havertz, Martinelli
UNAVAILABLE: Timber (Injured)
QUESTIONABLE: Tomiyasu (Injured), Martinelli (Injured)
PORTO
Sergio Conceicao remains without key forward, Iranian international Mehdi Taremi, due to injury with the Iranian having already signed a pre-contract agreement with Serie A-champions elect, Internazionale.
Porto will also still be without left-back Zaidu Sanusi due to an ACL injury, which is the same reason that Ivan Marcano is absent, too. Gabriel Veron is also missing this one through injury on Tuesday evening.
PREDICTED XI (4-2-3-1): Diogo Costa; Joao Mario, Pepe, Otavio, Wendell; Nico Gonzalez, Alan Varela; Conceicao, Pepe Aquino, Galeno; Evanilson
UNAVAILABLE: Sanusi (Injured), Marcano (Injured), Veron (Injured), Taremi (Injured)
QUESTIONABLE:
THE KEY STATS
- Arsenal have won six of their last seven UEFA competition matches at home (D1).
- Arsenal have won their previous three UEFA Champions League home games this season with 12 goals scored and none conceded.
- Arsenal have lost their last five home matches in the UEFA Champions League round of 16.
- Arsenal have lost their last seven UEFA Champions League round of 16 ties. Their last success at this stage of the competition was against Porto in 2009/10 – when they recovered from losing the first leg 2-1 away from home with a 5-0 victory in London in the second leg.
- Arsenal have won their previous three UEFA competition matches at home against Porto without conceding a goal.
- Arsenal have kept seven clean sheets in their last eight UEFA competition matches at home.
- Porto have won four of their last five UEFA Champions League matches (L1).
- Porto have lost 18 of their previous 21 UEFA competition matches in England (D3).
- Porto have won only three of their last eight UEFA Champions League round of 16 ties.
- Porto have failed to score in eight of their last nine UEFA competition matches in England.
- Pepe is set to become the first outfield player to make an appearance in the UEFA Champions League (GS to F) at the age of 41. He will be 41 years and 15 days old on the date of this fixture.
THE PREDICTION
The last time Arsenal made it into the quarter-finals of the UEFA Champions League was all the way back in 2011. In order to reach that stage back then, they had to hammer Porto at home in the Round of 16 after losing the first-leg at the Dragao. The Gunners will be hoping that history repeats itself but Sergio Conceicao and Porto will be confident of being immensely difficult to break down. Arsenal are favourites but a lower scoring win in which extra-time may well be beckoning would not be a bad bet.
TIP: ARSENAL TO WIN & UNDER 3.5 GOALS
