Prediction: Porto vs Roma

Prediction: Draw

Best Odds: 27/10

Bookmaker: bet365

The Champions League is easily the best competition in club football when it comes to quality, and now that we’re in the knockout stages, things are about to get serious. There are just 16 teams remaining in the hunt for European glory, although very shortly there will be just eight. Two teams hoping to make their way through to the quarter finals are Roma and Porto, and while they may be underdogs, they’ll still be confident that they can cause a few upsets between now and the final.

Porto

Porto are currently locked in a tussle for the Primeira Liga title, with Benfica currently leading the way. In the last 15 years or so they’ve been known as the team who won a ‘shock’ Champions League title with Jose Mourinho, and it feels like they want to shed that moniker. They’ve got a solid team that is more than capable of making some noise in this competition, but of course, they’ve got a 2-1 deficit to overcome first. They’ve got the ability to do it, but it’ll still require a pretty big performance.

Team News

Jesus Manuel Corona will be available as he’s now back from suspension, with Moussa Marega successfully recovering from an injury. Eder Militao, Pepe, Hector Herrera and Otavio are one yellow card away from being suspended.

Roma

Roma currently find themselves down in 5th spot in Serie A, which is crazy when you consider how well they’ve been doing in the Champions League over the last few years. There’s a lot of pressure on their shoulders especially after their loss to rivals Lazio at the weekend, but they know how to get the job done at this level. They’ve got the lead and all they need to do is protect it, and while that’s easier said than done, they know they can beat Porto.

Team News

Aleksandar Kolarov is available to play despite his red card at the weekend, Kostas Manolas is expected to start, and Patrik Schick will likely continue to feature.

Factors to Consider

• The game will be played at Porto’s Estadio do Dragao.
• Porto have won two, drawn two and lost two of their last six games.
• Roma have won four, drawn one and lost one of their last six games.
• Porto have scored eight goals and conceded five in their last six games.
• Roma have scored 11 goals and conceded eight in their last six games.

Conclusion

We don’t necessarily think this is going to be a boring game, but what we do think is that it’s going to be a bit of a stalemate. Roma will do whatever it takes to cling onto their slender lead, whereas Porto have no choice but to attack. We think the Italian side are going to park the bus, and whilst there could still be a few goals between the two sides, we can’t picture it. We believe Roma will progress into the quarter finals of the competition, which will likely keep their boss in a job.

Prediction: Draw

Best Odds: 27/10

Bookmaker: bet365