ARSENAL and Porto reconvene for the second leg of their Champions League round of 16 tie at the Emirates on Tuesday night.
Trailing by one goal following a 1-0 defeat at the Estádio do Dragão, the Gunners have given themselves work to do if they are to secure their passage to the quarter-final stages of the competition.
However, given their blistering domestic form of late, Mikel Arteta’s men will be quietly confident about their chances of overturning Porto’s 1-0 lead.
Last time out, Arsenal left it late to secure a 2-1 win over Brentford, a triumph that has catapulted the capital club to the top of the Premier League table.
Porto, meanwhile, have been ticking along nicely in the Primeira Liga since toppling the Gunners at the Dragão last month.
Sérgio Conceição’s side brilliantly dismantled Benfica 5-0 the weekend before last and they have since put Portimonense to the sword with a 3-0 success on Friday night.
Outright Betting
Only a win will do for Arsenal who are heavy odds-on favourites at 1/5 on PaddyPower.
A draw would be enough to see Porto progress to the last eight but that outcome is an unfancied 11/2 (William Hill) while an away win is trading at towering 14/1 (Bet 365).
Betting Angles
Arsenal are far too short to side with at general 1/5 but bundling up a home win alongside Porto’s Pepe to commit a foul will bolster the odds up to backable 9/10 shot on PaddyPower.
Mikel Arteta’s hosts put in an unexpected below-par showing when going down 1-0 in last month’s reverse fixture but they will be a different animal at the Emirates when being roared on by a raucous home crowd.
The Gunners won with room to spare when hosting PSV, Sevilla and Lens during the group stages and they should assert their authority against a similar standard of opposition on Tuesday night.
Whilst Porto will feel they can upset the odds if they can keep things tight early on, Arsenal’s superior class should see them at least win the game inside regulation time.
To boost the odds up to 9/10 on PaddyPower, I’ll also back Porto skipper Pepe to commit a minimum of one foul during this make-or-break clash.
The 41-year-old veteran has long had a reputation for being one of the masters of the game's dark arts, and having clocked up a foul in the first leg, Pepe is backed to do the same again on a night where he will be assigned plenty of defensive work.
With Declan Rice revelling in a more advanced role in recent weeks, I’ll also back the Arsenal midfielder to have at least one shot on target at 11/10 on PaddyPower.
This bet would have paid out in each of Rice’s last three outings for the Gunners and the same wager looks worthy of interest here given the hosts’ greater need for goals on Tuesday night.
This UEFA Champions League match between Arsenal and FC Porto will be played on Mar 12, 2024 and kick off at 20:00. Check below for our tipsters best Arsenal vs FC Porto prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
