FC Porto v Liverpool Betting Preview – UEFA Champions League 14th February 7.45pm
This may well end up being one of the most entertaining ties of the round of sixteen in this season’s Champions League. Liverpool have a powerful attack but we have seen already this season that they can’t always be trusted defensively. FC Porto will throw down a decent challenge and all three of their group stage fixtures in this season’s campaign were high scoring affairs.
FC Porto News and Form
Porto finished in second place in Group G this season in the Champions League and after losing their home opener against Besiktas they responded by beating RB Leipzig and then they hammered Monaco 5-2 in their final home game. All three of those games produced more than two goals so over 2.5 goals at William Hill is at 7/10 odds* (Betting Odds took on February 8th, 2018 at 9:42 p.m.) for the visit of Liverpool. Porto’s overall home record against English sides is W8 D6 L3 and the last time they played host to an English side, they beat Leicester on match day six of the group stage, with the English Premier League champions having already won the group.
Porto though have won only four of their last ten home games in Europe (D2 L4). So they have been far from reliable and they have taken only the three victories in their last eight home and away in European competition. Last season they got themselves past the group stage and so they have made it to the round of sixteen in back to back seasons for the first time since the 2009/10 season. Their record over two-legged ties isn’t great against English sides though as they trail 3-7 there and are on a four tie losing streak. There should be goals flying around in these battles with Liverpool.
Liverpool News and Form
After a nine-year break from the round of sixteen in the Champions League, Liverpool are finally back. The last time that they were here they beat Real Madrid 5-0 on aggregate in the 2008/09 competition. Overall Liverpool have a W4 L1 success record at this stage of the competition. The only time they failed to get past the round of sixteen from those previous visits was actually against Portuguese opposition in the form of Benfica back in the 2005/06 season. Liverpool suffered a home loss in that tie against Benfica and that is their only ever home defeat against a Portuguese side (W6 D2). The last time that Liverpool hit the road to land in Portugal, was in the 2010/11 UEFA Europa League with the Reds losing 1-0 at Braga. Out on the road in the group stage of the Champions League this season, Liverpool went W1 D2 which included them blowing a 3-0 half time lead at Sevilla to end up drawing 3-3. The Reds have a record of W2 D3 L4 in Portugal but those two wins in that sequence were in their first two visits there, which means that they haven’t won there in any of their last seven visits. Liverpool’s away form in Europe isn’t great with just three victories in their last sixteen on the road (D8 L5). But they can boast scoring power at the moment, and both teams to score at William Hill is an obvious 6/10 option* (Betting Odds taken on February 8th, 2018 at 9:42 p.m.).
FC Porto v Liverpool Head to Head
These two have contested four games before and the first meetings were in the 2000/01 UEFA Cup which produced a 0-0 draw in Portugal before Liverpool ran out 2-0 winners back at home. The next meetings between them was in the 2007/08 Champions League Group Stages and there was a 1-1 draw out in Portugal before Liverpool ran out 4-1 winners back at Anfield.
FC Porto v Liverpool Betting Odds*
Liverpool 5/4, Porto 2/1, Draw 12/5* (Betting Odds taken on February 8th, 2018 at 9:42 p.m.)
FC Porto v Liverpool Predictions
FC Porto can probably keep themselves in this tie. Liverpool have a habit of running out of steam in matches and Porto can stick in there and have their moments in this game. They have good home form going against English sides and the Reds can’t always be trusted to hold things together at the back. The draw in the match outright appeals.
