Porto vs FC Barcelona Preview - 04/10/2023 - UEFA Champions League
Porto are expecting to host FC Barcelona in the second fixture of the UEFA Champions League 2023/24 group stage on October 4.
The Catalan club, alongside the Portgues outfit, have been placed in Group H and they will compete against Shakhtar Donetsk and Royal Antwerp following the draw that took place on Thursday evening in Monaco.
Barca side have successfully evaded a challenging group and now has a genuine opportunity to finish at the top of their group, potentially securing advancement to the knockout stage for the first time during Xavi Hernández's tenure.
However, while taking on the Liga Portugal giants can be a formidable task, particularly given Barcelona's past mixed experiences against Portuguese teams, the Catalan side will be eager to prove that they can deliver a stronger performance in the competition compared to their previous showing last year.
Both sides celebrated victories in their first Champions League games. Porto scored three goals and conceded one, while Barca scored five and kept a clean sheet.
Match Officials Confirmed for Porto vs FC Barcelona
- Referee: Anthony Taylor
- Assistant referees: Adam Nunn, Gary Beswick
- Video Assistant Referee: Stuart Attwell
- Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Bastian Dankert
- Fourth official: Robert Jones
Porto vs FC Barcelona Prediction - 04/10/2023 - UEFA Champions League
Porto haven't lost home matches in their past four fixtures, but welcoming Barcelona at Estádio do Dragãoto will be a massive challenge for Sérgio Conceição's side.
Xavi boasts a highly capable squad, yet they find themselves with some specific issues to address as they approach this upcoming meeting. One particular concern is the current form of Robert Lewandowski, who has not yet reached his peak this season but is expected to play a pivotal role for the Catalans on their road to Porto.
Reflecting on their history since the turn of the millennium, these two teams have crossed paths on two occasions, with Barcelona securing comprehensive 2-0 victories in both clashes. This impressive track record serves as a source of confidence for the La Liga giants as they aim to maintain their winning streak against their upcoming opponents.
Both teams have secured three wins and a draw in their respective domestic leagues this season, resulting in nearly identical goal differences. Barcelona have scored eight goals and conceded four, while Porto have netted seven times and conceded an equal number of goals.
Moreover, in the upcoming UEFA Champions League group-stage fixture, our prediction leans towards either a draw or a potential narrow victory for the away team.
Odds via Vbet.com:
Porto win: 4.20
Draw: 3.96
Barcelona win: 1.87
Porto vs FC Barcelona Head-to-Head
26/08/11 - FC Barcelona 2 - 0 FC Porto
07/03/00 - FC Porto 0 - 2 FC Barcelona
Porto vs FC Barcelona Predicted Lineups
Porto XI: Costa; Mario, Pepe, Marcano, Sanusi; Eustaquio, Gonzalez; Pepe, Martinez, Galeno; Namaso
FC Barcelona XI: Ter Stegen; Alonso, Christensen, Kounde, Roberto; De Jong, Romeu, Gundogan; Gavi, Lewandowski, Yamal
How to watch Porto vs FC Barcelona live, stream link and start time
- Australia: Stan Sport
- Brazil: TNT Go, HBO Max, TNT Brasil
- Spain: Movistar+, Movistar Liga de Campeones
- UK: BT Sport App, BTSport.com, BT Sport 1, TalkSport Radio UK, BBC Radio 5 Live, BT Sport Ultimate
- United States: Paramount+, SiriusXM FC, TUDN USA, Univision, Univision NOW, CBS, VIX+, TUDN.com, TUDN App
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