MX23RW : Monday, November 25 16:03:08| >> :120:22741:22741:
[monks data]
Porto
Champions League | Quarter-Finals
Apr 15, 2015 at 7.45pm UK
 
Bayern logo

3-1

Quaresma (3' pen., 10'), Martinez (65')
FT(HT: 2-1)
Alcantara (28')

Preview: Porto vs. Bayern Munich

Sports Mole looks ahead to the Champions League quarter-final first leg between Porto and Bayern Munich at the Estadio do Dragao.

Bayern Munich can take a step towards a fourth consecutive Champions League semi-final on Wednesday when they travel to Porto for the first leg of the quarter-finals.

Pep Guardiola's side are favourites to reach the last four of the competition, but Porto will be looking to halt the Bavarians' progress.



Porto

Porto's Algerian midfielder Yacine Brahimi (L) kicks the ball to score a goal during the UEFA Champions League round of 16 second leg football match against Basel on March 10, 2015© Getty Images

Porto blitzed their way into the quarter-finals of the Champions League thanks to a resounding 5-1 aggregate triumph over Basel in the last round.

Julen Lopetegui's side drew the first leg 1-1 in Switzerland before a 4-0 triumph on home soil saw them breeze into the last eight of the tournament.

However, their overall form has been patchy in recent weeks, winning just two of their last four matches in all competitions.

They currently sit three points adrift of leaders Benfica in the Primeira Liga table, though they are still in with a good chance of lifting the league trophy for a 28th time.

This is the first year that they have made it through to the quarter-finals of the Champions League since 2009. The last time that they went even further was when they won it under Jose Mourinho back in 2004.

They will be looking to Jackson Martinez to provide a threat to Bayern thanks to a return of 17 goals from the Colombian so far this season. Meanwhile, Yacine Brahimi, Ricardo Quaresma and Cristian Tello have also proved dangerous in the final third during the current campaign.

Recent form: WWWDDW
Recent form (all competitions): WWDLWW



Bayern Munich

Bayern Munich's Polish striker Robert Lewandowski celebrates after the first goal during the German first division Bundesliga football match between FC Bayern Muenchen vs Eintracht Frankfurt in Munich, Germany, on April 11, 2015© Getty Images

With their domestic title all but wrapped up, Bayern will be fully focused on getting into the last four of the Champions League.

There were doubts over whether the Bavarians would secure their progress in the previous round after drawing the first leg 0-0 against Shakhtar Donestk, but a 7-0 mauling of the Ukrainians in the return fixture emphatically answered any questions.

Bayern are currently 10 points clear at the top of the Bundesliga table thanks to eight victories from their previous nine matches. Their most recent triumph came at the weekend as they saw off Eintracht Frankfurt 3-0 at the Allianz Arena.

They have always been a threat in front of goal, but it is in defence where Pep Guardiola's men have excelled in the past few weeks. The German champions have conceded just four times in their last nine games, and they will be eager to maintain that miserly outlook at the back against Porto.

They will also be buoyed by the fact that they have won six of their previous 10 away games in the competition, including a 7-0 thumping of Roma last season.

After losing 5-0 on aggregate to eventual champions Real Madrid in the semi-finals during the 2013-14 campaign, Bayern will have their sights set on going one better this term. While their progress is far from secured, the five-time winners of the competition have to be among the favourites to lift the trophy once more.

Recent form: WWLWDW
Recent form (all competitions): WWLWWW



Team News

Bayern Munich's French midfielder Franck Ribery celebrates scoring during the UEFA Champions League Group E second-leg football match FC Bayern Munich vs AS Roma in Munich, southern Germany, on November 5, 2014© Getty Images

Bayern Munich have an eye-watering number of injury problems heading into the game, with six key first-team members likely to miss out.

David Alaba, Medhi Benatia, Javi Martinez, Franck Ribery, Arjen Robben and Bastian Schweinsteiger are all currently sidelined. However, Xabi Alonso is back after serving a ban.

Ivan Marcano misses out through suspension for the hosts, who could also be without Jackson Martinez and Cristian Tello due to groin and thigh problems respectively.

Porto possible starting lineup:
Fabiano; Danilo, Maicon, Martins Indi, Sandro; Casemiro, Brahimi, Evandro, Herrera; Tello, Martinez

Bayern Munich possible starting lineup:
Neuer; Rafinha, Alonso, Dante; Weiser, Lahm, Thiago Alcantara, Juan Bernat; Muller, Gotze, Lewandowski



Head To Head

The two sides have a rich history in the Champions League, meeting twice already in the quarter-finals alone. Bayern came through both of those clashes, but Porto secured a victory in arguably their most important encounter - the 1987 European Cup final.


Sports Mole Logo

We say: Porto 1-2 Bayern Munich

Despite suffering from a depleted squad, Bayern should have the necessary quality to earn themselves a first-leg win in Portugal. The visitors will not want to take their opponents lightly, but it is hard to look beyond the five-time winners on this occasion.



ID:216923: cacheID:216923:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:restore:10391:No Data Analysis info

Previews by email

Click here to get Sports Mole's daily email of previews and predictions for every major game!


Restore Data
Share this article now:
Bayern Munich's Spanish head coach Pep Guardiola (L) looks on during the UEFA Champions League semifinal first leg football match Real Madrid CF vs FC Bayern Munchen at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid on April 23, 2014
Read Next:
Team News: Injuries force Guardiola into reshuffle
>
rhs 2.0
Today's games header
Tables header RHS

League Phase

TeamPWDLPTS
1Liverpool440012
2Sporting Lisbon431010
3Brest431010
4Inter Milan431010
5Monaco431010
6Barcelona43019
7Dortmund43019
8Aston Villa43019
9Atalanta42208
10Juventus42117
11Lille42117
12Man City42117
13Arsenal42117
14B. Leverkusen42117
15Celtic42117
16Dinamo Zagreb42117
17AC Milan42026
18Bayern42026
19Benfica42026
20Feyenoord42026
21Real Madrid42026
22Brugge42026
23Atletico42026
24PSV41215
25Sparta Prague41124
26Stuttgart41124
27PSG41124
28Shakhtar41124
29Girona41033
30Salzburg41033
31Bologna40131
32RB Leipzig40040
33Sturm Graz40040
34Young Boys40040
35Red Star40040
36Slovan Bratislava40040


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
Argentina's Lionel Messi kisses the World Cup trophy after collecting the Golden Ball award on December 18, 2022Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!