FC Porto v Arsenal might not be one of the most awaited matches of the Round of 16. But with some great players and history between the two clubs, it promises to provide many nail biting moments. iSporter Suraj Kori previews the action.
Porto have lost both of their previous home games against an English side. Man Utd broke their 11 match unbeaten run in the semi-finals of Champions League last season, this was followed by a 1-0 loss to Chelsea in this season’s group stage and Porto will not want to make a hat-trick of losses against English sides.
The previous meeting between the two teams was in the group stage of the last season. Porto would take some motivation from that match as they beat the English side 2-0 but should not forget that Arsenal went into this match with a second string team as they had already qualified for the knock out stages, while they had defeated Porto quite convincingly with a 4-0 win at home.
Porto have been in great form domestically since the end of group stages. They are on a 12 game unbeaten run and have also managed to keep 5 clean sheets in the last 5 outings. The last time they suffered a defeat was on 20 December at the hands of title rivals SL Benfica. They have also secured a place in the finals of Portuguese League Cup and the semi-finals of Portuguese Cup.
Where as Arsenal on the other hand have lost some of their form which saw them to the top of the league briefly. After a FA Cup loss to Stoke City, Arsenal lost 2 of their next 3 games. But those losses were against the likes of Man Utd. & Chelsea, Arsenal again proved their class again by beating Liverpool in their most recent match.
The Gunners are being led by their captain Fabregas who has been their highest scorer with 11 goals. He will be the real hope for the Gunners and all eyes will be on him to score. He has been well supported by Robin Van Persie and Arshavin who have scored 7 goals each in this season so far. Arshavin is a world class player and has the potential of turning a game on his side when he gets going.
The biggest problem with the Gunners will be that they are missing most of their front line players, Van Persie has been out with a long term injury, Arshavin and Eduardo have not traveled to Porto due to injuries. Finding the net in the absence of any recognized front line player might become an impossible task against an opposition that has been in great form lately. It's not just the forwards that the Gunners are missing, William Gallas and Almunia will be missing in the back along with long term injured Gibbs and Johan Djourou.
For Porto, Silvestre Varela has begun to bloom! He has stepped up and taken the responsibility quite well especially in the absence of Hulk. Varela’s power and pace might trouble Clichy who has struggled with his pace since his return from injury.
Mariano Gonzalez has been in great form. Radamel Falcao has been the top scorer for Porto with 14 goals. Arsenal defenders may have a tough time putting breaks on this trio. A. Pereira, Ronaldo, Bruno Alves and Fucile would form the Porto defense. R. Meireles, Fernando and Beluschi would be the midfielders and supporting the trio.
Arsenal’s loss to Chelsea and Man Utd has left them wounded and it has brought a lot of maturity to its young players. Just before this big clash they have played against two of the best teams in Europe and this would definitely help them irrespective of the result. Beating Porto at home would be a difficult task for the Gunners but keeping in mind the potential of its players I personally think that Arsenal have the edge and might as well come out as the eventual winners!
Injury:
FC Porto:
Cristián Rodríguez (right thigh), Raul Meireles (back) and Ernesto Farías (left knee) are unlikely to make the first leg of this tie. Orlando Sá (left adductor) and Rúben Micael (shoulder) both picked up injuries against Leixões, and might as well miss the first leg.
Arsenal:
Johan Djourou (knee), Robin van Persie (right ankle ligaments) and Kieran Gibbs (broken metatarsal) are all injured and might not be able to feature until the end of the season. Eduardo, Andrey Arshavin, Alex Song, Williams Gallas and Manuel Almunia are all confirmed absenties from the Arsenal Squad.
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... Porto have vowed they will not change their attacking style for Tuesday's crunch clash with Arsenal. But, for Gunners they need only a goal and make sure not conceded any to proceed. Arsenal are without key players Fabregas and Van Persie. By looking on the above concerns, it seems not a good idea to support Arsenal but the Gunners have won all the Champion League matches at Emirates stadium. I can see their home spirit and high motivation from London's supporters. Arsenal will go... with a goal! |
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