- The Arsenal vs Porto game will kick off at 2300EAT on Tuesday night.
- Arsenal are seeking to qualify for the Champions League quarter-finals for the first time since 2010.
- Porto, meanwhile, have a golden opportunity to reach the last eight for the first time since 2020-21.
Arsenal are set to welcome FC Porto to the iconic Emirates Stadium in a do-or-die UEFA Champions League Round of 16 second-leg clash on Tuesday night.
The return tie comes at a time when the Mikel Arteta-coached side are in excellent form, scoring an impressive 12 goals in three of their last league matches and conceding only two in the process.
The Gunner’s most recent win came against Brentford over the weekend with England midfielder Declan Rice and ex-Chelsea attacker Kai Havertz scoring in either half to help Arsenal return to the top of the Premier League table.
With their Premier League campaign going on well, Arsenal will be aiming to overturn their 1-0 first-leg loss in Lisbon more than two weeks ago as they seek to qualify for the Champions League quarter-finals for the first time since 2010.
However, a win for the North London-based club will not come on a silver platter since FC Porto have the experience of playing in such fixtures.
Just like the hosts, FC Porto have also registered victories in their recent three ties and they will be seeking to bundle the hosts out of the prestigious competition when they make the trip.
FC Porto go into the match with fresher legs than Arsenal since their last fixture against Portimonense, which they won 3-0, was played on Friday.
Here are some of the key details you need to comprehend ahead of the crunch game.
What time does Arsenal vs FC Porto start?
The match is scheduled to take place at 11 pm Tanzanian time at the Emirates Stadium.
Arsenal vs FC Porto Team News
The visitors have received a huge boost with the return of their reliable striker Mehdi Taremi, who did not play a role in the first leg due to thigh issues.
Besides Teremi’s return, first choice left back Wendell Nascimento Borges is also available for selection having recovered from the injury which saw him substituted during the last encounter between the two clubs.
However, Ivan Marcano, Gabriel Veron and Nigerian international Zaidu Sanusi will all miss Tuesday’s clash due to injuries.
On the other hand, Arsenal are set to be without Brazilian winger Gabriel Martinelli, who injured his foot in the Gunners’ 6-0 demolition of Sheffield United two weeks ago.
Jurrien Timber and Takehiro Tomiyasu are the other stars who are on the treatment table at the moment, with both of them expected to be available after the international break.
Possible Starting Lineups
Arsenal: Raya, Kiwior, Saliba, Gabriel, White, Rice, Odegaard, Jorginho, Trossard, Saka, Havertz
FC Porto: Costa, Wendell, Pepe, Otavio, Mario, Gonzalez, Varela, Conceicao, Galeno, Pepe, Teremi
Arsenal vs FC Porto Head-to-head
Arsenal and FC Porto have met seven times in all competitions since 2016 with the Gunners registering three wins. One of those fixtures ended in a draw with Porto winning the other three.
Arsenal: 3
Draws: 1
FC Porto: 3
Arsenal vs FC Porto Current Form
Arsenal: WLWWW
FC Porto: WDWWW
Arsenal vs FC Porto Prediction
The Gunners are the favorites going into the match due to their excellent form and the home advantage.
However, in UEFA Champions League anything can happen and thus the Sérgio Conceição-coached side should not be ruled out of making it to the quarterfinals.
Football fans should expect a hotly contested match of football that may be decided well into extra time.
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Quick facts on Arsenal vs FC Porto
What is the Arsenal vs Porto Head-to-Head?
Arsenal have won all three of their previous home meetings with Porto in European competitions by an aggregate score of 11-0, most recently thrashing them 5-0 at the Emirates in March 2010.
What is Arsenal’s Champions League knockout record?
Arsenal have been knocked out of nine of their previous 10 UEFA Champions League knockout ties when losing the first leg, though the exception came against Porto in 2009-10.
Who are the favourites to win in the Arsenal vs Porto clash?
Of 10,000 pre-match simulations conducted ahead of kick-off by Opta, Arsenal won 73%, with Porto triumphing in 10.8% and holding out for a draw in 16.2%.
What is Porto’s recent form ahead of the clash?
The Portuguese side are unbeaten in six straight games across all competitions, winning five and playing out to a 1-1 draw with Gil Vicente in the Primeira Liga