Arsenal travel away to Porto in first leg of knock-out affair
Ending a seven-year exile from the Champions League knockout stages, Arsenal board the plane to Portugal for the first leg of their last-16 affair with Porto on Wednesday evening.
With both Benfica and Braga forced to continue their continental campaigns in the Europa League owing to third-placed finishes in the Champions League group stage, Porto are the only Portuguese team left standing in Europe’s elite competition, reaching the elimination rounds for the sixth time in the last seven seasons.
Seven of Porto’s last eight Champions League knockout ties against English opposition have also seen the Portuguese outfit eliminated, although the one time they did manage to send a Premier League team packing – sinking Manchester United in the last 16 in 2004 – they famously went on to conquer the continent.
Fast-forward 20 years, and Conceicao’s team host Arsenal on a 10-game unbeaten run across all tournaments at the Estadio do Dragao.
Throughout their 10-match unbeaten streak in front of their own fans, Porto’s defence has been breached just five times, but a merciless Arsenal came up with an identical number of strikes in just 90 minutes during a Premier League affair with Burnley.
Gooners have celebrated a staggering 21 goals in five Premier League games since Arsenal flew home from a highly worthwhile Dubai training camp, and the prospect of an unforeseen top-flight and Champions League double remains alive for Mikel Arteta‘s troops, who returned to the Champions League with a bang.
The last time that the Gunners reached the quarter-finals in the 2009-10 season, they earned their ticket thanks to a 6-2 aggregate thrashing of Porto in the last 16, although they are still awaiting their first-ever away win versus the Portuguese powerhouses.
As admirable as Porto’s home defensive record is, Arsenal’s astonishing attacking exploits since the turn of the year – particularly away from home – suggests that the Dragons’ rearguard nous may count for little if the Gunners’ offensive line is on song once again.
Porto will no doubt prove stiffer opposition than West Ham and Burnley, and the Gunners have traditionally struggled for results at the Estadio do Dragao, but trust Arteta’s men to capitalise on the hosts’ injury problems at the back and return to North London with a healthy first-leg advantage.
Credit: sportsmole.co.uk
Inconsistent Napoli and Barcelona in face saving duel
Two fallen giants will clash in the Champions League‘s last 16, as Napoli welcome Barcelona to Stadio Maradona on Wednesday evening.
Forever linked by Diego Maradona, both clubs topped their domestic leagues last season; however, neither has put up much of a title defence or impressed in the group stage.
Quarter-finalists last year, Napoli finished as Group C runners-up in the first phase of this season’s Champions League, trailing in eight points behind Real Madrid, who they were beaten by both home and away.
Nonetheless, three wins from their other four fixtures – against Braga and Union Berlin – proved enough to progress to the knockout rounds, and the Serie A side will now attempt to topple Real’s old foes Barcelona for the very first time, having failed to do so in three previous contests across the last five seasons.
Napoli have never before beaten Barcelona, to whom they lost in the last 16 four years ago, when exiting Europe’s top competition 4-2 on aggregate.
In fact, Barcelona also won 4-2 in their most recent ‘Maradona derby’, which came in the playoff round of the 2021-22 Europa League. History, then, is on their side this week.
Back in the Champions League’s elimination phase for the first time in three years, the Blaugrana finished first in Group H, pipping Porto on head-to-head record after the pair both posted 12 points from six matches: a 5-0 crushing of Antwerp was followed by wins over the Portuguese side and Shakhtar Donetsk, but Barca then lost two of the next three.
Such inconsistency has characterised the Catalan club’s season, and they are not only off the pace in La Liga’s title race but also out of the Copa del Rey, and head coach Xavi has announced he will leave at the campaign’s conclusion – if he is not removed any earlier.
Osimhen should immediately replace misfiring striker Giovanni Simeone, and with Juan Jesus returning after Serie A suspension, Francesco Calzona has a fully available squad to choose from. While Napoli have been struggling to score; Barcelona can barely buy a clean sheet. On to their third boss of the season, the home side are as disjointed as they were united last year, so they may trail by a goal ahead of next month’s return leg in Catalonia.
Credit: sportsmole.co.uk
