Porto vs. Arsenal Preview (What To Know Before Betting)

Porto vs. Arsenal

Embarking on their first Champions League knockout stage in seven years, Arsenal travels to Portugal for the initial leg of their last-16 clash with Porto on Wednesday evening.

Topping Group B, the Gunners are poised for a reunion with Sergio Conceicao’s side, who secured passage to the knockout rounds by finishing second in Group H, trailing behind Barcelona.

As both Benfica and Braga find themselves redirected to the Europa League due to third-placed finishes in the Champions League group stage, Porto stands alone as the sole Portuguese team remaining in Europe’s premier competition. This marks their sixth appearance in the elimination rounds in the last seven seasons.

Porto vs. Arsenal

In Group H, Porto secured second place behind Barcelona with four victories from four matches against Royal Antwerp and Shakhtar Donetsk. Despite boasting a superior goal difference to the La Liga champions, Porto settled for the runners-up spot due to an inferior head-to-head record.

With a 12-point haul in the group stage, the Primeira Liga titans have another opportunity to address past shortcomings in the Champions League. Since the 1993-94 tournament, they have not progressed beyond the last eight, and their 2022-23 campaign concluded at this stage with a 1-0 aggregate loss to Inter Milan.

What to remember – Porto vs. Arsenal

While Porto’s commendable home defensive record is notable, Arsenal’s remarkable attacking performances, especially away from home, since the beginning of the year imply that the Dragons’ defensive prowess might be overshadowed if the Gunners’ offensive line performs well.

Porto is expected to present a more formidable challenge than West Ham and Burnley, and Arsenal has historically faced difficulties in securing results at the Estadio do Dragao. However, we have confidence in Arteta’s team to capitalize on the hosts’ defensive injury issues and return to North London with a substantial first-leg advantage.

Betting tip for Porto vs. Arsenal

Our expert tipster partners anticipate that the away team will get a win in this match.