The Portuguese “Dragons” faced no issues in the group stage. The team suffered defeats in two matches against Barcelona but secured maximum points in games against main competitors, Shakhtar and Antwerp. Porto approaches the game against the “Gunners” following a home victory over the survival-contending Estrela with a 2-0 score in the Portuguese league. Prior to this, Sergio Conceicao’s team dropped points in a home game against Rio Ave (0-0) and suffered an away defeat to Arouca (2-3). These setbacks increased Porto’s gap from the leading Benfica to seven points. In the current season, the “Dragons” have lost only one home match out of eight played.
London-based Arsenal returned to the Champions League after a long hiatus and smoothly advanced to the knockout stage, winning their group with PSV, Lorient, and Sevilla. In six matches, the “Gunners” suffered a lone defeat in an away game against Lorient, with four victories and one draw. Last weekend, Mikel Arteta’s team convincingly defeated Burnley 5-0 away. This victory extended Arsenal’s winning streak in the Premier League to five matches. Currently, Arsenal sits in the second position in the EPL standings, trailing Liverpool by two points. Arsenal is the best-performing team in the English league in away games, securing eight victories and suffering three defeats in 13 matches.
