Arsenal vs FC Porto Preview: A significant evening awaits at the Emirates Stadium as Arsenal is set to host FC Porto for the return leg of their Champions League last-16 encounter.
Three weeks ago in Porto, Arsenal delivered a cautious and uninspired performance, eventually losing 1-0 due to a late, excellent goal from Galeno.
Therefore, Mikel Arteta’s team has a challenge ahead as they aim to reach the quarter-finals of this competition for the first time since 2010.
Since their setback in Portugal, Arsenal has continued to dominate in domestic competition and will enter Tuesday’s match as leaders of the Premier League after concluding the weekend at the summit.
On the other hand, Porto remains a contender in the Primeira Liga following their impressive 5-0 victory over Benfica two weeks ago.
Under Sergio Conceicao, the team has gone six games without defeat and aims to secure a surprise victory in north London, building on their first-leg triumph over the Gunners.
Arsenal vs FC Porto Preview
Here’s our overview of Tuesday’s second leg in the Champions League round 16.
How to watch the Arsenal vs FC Porto match:
Date of the match: Tuesday, March 12
Kick-off time: 20:00 GMT
Location: Emirates Stadium
How to watch: TNT Sports Ultimate, TNT Sports 1, Discovery+ App, Discovery+ (UK), Paramount+ (US), DAZN (Canada)
Match official: Clement Turpin from France
Arsenal Team News
Gabriel Martinelli was absent from Saturday’s victory due to a foot injury. Despite being seen with crutches after the match, Arteta has downplayed the severity of the injury. The Brazilian aims to be fit for Tuesday night’s game.
David Raya is set to replace Aaron Ramsdale in goal, but Arteta might stick with the same starting eleven that secured a win against Brentford over the weekend.
Jurrien Timber is back in training, but it will still be a few weeks before he returns to competitive play.
FC Porto Team Updates:
Conceicao is expected to maintain a lineup similar to the one that secured a victory against Arsenal in the previous match.
The away team will miss Mehdi Taremi, who was absent three weeks ago because of a knee injury, and Ivan Marcano and Zaidu Sanusi, who are both sidelined with long-term injuries.
Predicted Lineups for Arsenal vs FC Porto:
Arsenal: Raya; White, Saliba, Gabriel, Kiwior; Jorginho, Rice, Odegaard; Saka, Havertz, Martinelli.
FC Porto: Costa; Mario, Pepe, Otavio, Wendell; Conceicao, Gonzalez, Varela, Galeno; Pepe, Evanilison.
Summary of Arsenal and FC Porto’s Recent Performances:
Arsenal’s Latest Matches:
- 09/03/24: Arsenal defeated Brentford 2-1 in the Premier League.
- 04/03/24: Arsenal triumphed over Sheffield United with a 6-0 win in the Premier League.
- 24/02/24: Arsenal secured a 4-1 victory against Newcastle in the Premier League.
- 21/02/24: FC Porto bested Arsenal 1-0 in the Champions League.
- 17/02/24: Arsenal won against Burnley 5-0 in the Premier League.
FC Porto’s Recent Results:
- 08/03/24: FC Porto won against Portimonense 3-0 in the Primeira Liga.
- 03/03/24: FC Porto dominated Benfica with a 5-0 victory in the Primeira Liga.
- 29/02/24: FC Porto edged past Santa Clara 2-1 in the Taça de Portugal.
- 25/02/24: FC Porto and Gil Vicente drew 1-1 in the Primeira Liga.
- 21/02/24: FC Porto achieved a 1-0 win over Arsenal in the Champions League.
Score Prediction for Arsenal vs FC Porto:
Brentford managed to challenge Arsenal significantly during their match on Saturday, and undoubtedly, Porto, having employed various strategic tactics in the first leg, will aim to unsettle the hosts again on Tuesday night.
Porto’s defensive commitment and counter-attacking potential should not be underestimated; however, Arsenal possesses the superior team and may only need a few moments for the match’s momentum to shift.
The match is expected to be tense and suspenseful, but Arteta’s squad is anticipated to break through Porto’s solid defense and secure their spot in the quarter-finals.
Prediction: Arsenal will win 2-0 against FC Porto.