Surprisingly, in the last round, Barcelona failed to secure 100% participation in the knockout stage matches. The “Blaugrana” lost with a minimal score to Shakhtar Donetsk (0:1), and now only lead their upcoming opponent in the group based on additional indicators. In the past weekend, Javier’s charges played in the Spanish championship against Rayo Vallecano and couldn’t secure a victory (1:1). After the defeat at the end of October against Real Madrid (1:2), the Catalans significantly slowed down in their game. It’s unclear whether this is a crisis or if the players are simply in a relaxed state. Several players will miss the upcoming confrontation for the hosts. Gavi, Roberto, and Ter Stegen won’t be on the field. Nevertheless, few doubt the victory of the renowned Spanish club. Let’s see if they can live up to the expectations of many football analysts and win once again against the Portuguese team.
Porto, like their upcoming opponent, managed to collect nine points in the group stage of the Champions League. In four played rounds, the Portuguese club secured three victories and suffered one defeat, precisely against the Catalan club at home (0:1). Typically, Sergio Conceicao’s team does not perform well on the road. The team consistently tries to move forward, which sometimes leads to significant defensive lapses, allowing opponents to launch numerous attacks. The guests are currently on a streak of three consecutive victories. It all started with a victory over Antwerp (2:0) in the last round of the Champions League. Then they managed to win in the Portuguese championship against Vitoria Guimaraes (2:1) and in the country’s cup against Montalegre (4:0). Similar to their upcoming opponent, the guests have problems with the squad. Ivan Jaime, Wendell, Carrau, and Marcano will be absent today. Let’s see if the team can put up a fight against one of the strongest clubs in Europe without these players. More football predictions today can be obtained from the link provided.
