Porto v Maccabi Tel Aviv
Tuesday 20th October – Kickoff: 1945hrs
Football – Europe – Champions League
Porto will be very pleased with their return of four points from their opening two games in Group G having drawn in Kiev against Dynamo, before following that up with a deserved 2-1 win at home to Chelsea. It sets them up perfectly for back-to-back games against a team wisely considered to be the weakest in the section beforehand, and who have done nothing to dispel that belief in their opening couple of games. Porto – champions in 2004 – have not had the same expectation placed upon them as a team such as PSG, but when you look at their recent records in the Champions League, they are very comparable, and the Portuguese club showed in the win over Chelsea just how dangerous they can be.
This is the first time that Maccabi have reached the group stage in 11 years but it has been a rather sobering experience for them thus far. Their opening group game ended in a 4-0 defeat away to London in one of the most one-sided games you will see at this level. That was followed by a 2-0 loss at home to Dynamo Kiev in which they rarely threatened. Home and away games against Porto, considering the form they are currently in, will be another severe test for the Israeli champions who surprised many by beating Basel in the playoff round to reach this stage. Manager Slavisa Jokanovic, who only arrived in the summer, will be looking for a more competitive performance first and foremost.
The 14th of December 2014 was the last time Porto lost a game at home in any competition. They have racked up 19 straight wins since then, conceding just four goals in that run of games. It’s incredible consistency and they can also include clubs such as Bayern and Chelsea as scalps. It’s a very tall order to think that Maccabi could be capable of ending that run but far stranger things have happened so the home team will be determined to continue their positive start to their Champions League campaign and avoid any unwanted surprises.
Porto v Maccabi Tel-Aviv Betting Tips
Having watched both of these clubs’ games against Chelsea, I find it almost impossible to see how the visitors can take anything from this game. Maccabi looked inept in every area of the pitch against the English Champions, who themselves have disappointed for large parts of the season. Porto – as you would expect – were much more dominant when they faced Jose Mourinho’s team and could have won by more than a one-goal margin.
I fully expect the home team to pick up another three points on Tuesday, on what could be a long night for their opponents. Porto usually start very quickly and have scored in the first half in five of their last seven Champions League games at home before going on to score again in the second 45 minutes. Maccabi have conceded in both halves in their two group games and there’s a very good chance that will be three out of three after this fixture.
Porto to score in both halves 7/10 @ Betway
