Champions League: Porto Brace for the Spanish Armada

FC Porto vs Barcelona

We’re heading to Portugal for a Champions League marquee matchup more than 10 years in the making, as Porto will host Barcelona this Wednesday at the Estádio do Dragão stadium.

These two European giants will lock horns in a fixture that will set the tone and determine who will top Group H in the Champions League group stages. Barcelona are primed to be the top two clubs to come out of Group H, as Shakhtar and Antwerp seem to be struggling to keep up with the pack.

The last time these two clubs met was back in 2011 for the UEFA Super Cup title, where Barcelona won 2-0, but a lot has changed over the past decade. Porto have a good chance to tie their score with Barcelona and avenge their loss back in 2011, while Barcelona are hungry now more than ever as they aspire to win their sixth Champions League title after back-to-back group stage exits.

Talking Points

Ancelotti chimes in the Barcelona debacle

The prestigious club is under formal investigation for bribery. It has been suspected that Barcelona have been actively bribing the country’s refereeing committee for a span of two decades, according to a court document seen by Reuters on Thursday.

UEFA announced that Barca are provisionally admitted to participate in the 2023-2024 UEFA club competitions. This means they can still participate in the Champions League, for which they have qualified as the winners of La Liga.

It added: “The investigators in charge of the case are invited to continue and finalise their investigation and to send a further report to the appeals body if and when they consider that the admission or exclusion of FC Barcelona should be assessed.”

Real Madrid’s boss, Carlo Ancelotti, released a statement expressing his club’s deep concern at the allegations imposed against Barcelona.

“On this issue, I am worried, like the entire football world, about such a serious matter. Justice is working on this and we have to let them work.” Ancelotti chimed in.

He stated, “Real Madrid expresses its deep concern about the seriousness of the facts, and reiterates its full confidence in the action of justice. It has agreed that, in defence of its legitimate interests, it will appear in the procedure as soon as the judge opens it to the injured parties.”

If worse comes to worst, the Catalans could be facing a potential ban from the Champions League if the governing bodies see fit.

It would surely be a shame if the football world were deprived of the presence of one of the most famous football clubs competing to be the best team in Europe, especially with the quality of play they are showing under Xavi.

Barca bagged a bargain

29-year-old Portuguese Joao Cancelo is currently on loan for Barcelona until the end of the season after the folks at Camp Nou failed to secure the necessary funds to permanently get him in the summer.

Man City slapped a price tag of more or less £55 million for the Portuguese defender, and after a lack of interest in Bundesliga, Cancelo now has the chance to rejuvenate his career in Barcelona.

The Sky Blues have agreed to drastically cut Cancelo’s price down to £24.3 million after a falling out with City Manager Pep Guardiola.

In his six appearances for Barca across all competitions, Cancelo has already scored two goals and assisted on one for his teammate. He looks revitalised to be in a competitive situation and is primed to orchestrate Champions League 2023 highlights for his new club. Cancelo is wasting no time proving that he’s worth every penny.

History

 This will only be the second time these two sides will face off. One would assume that clubs of this stature would have met quite often in their history, but surprisingly, that’s not the case here.

The first time they met was in 2011 at the UEFA Super Cup final held at the Stade Louis II in Monaco. Barcelona won the title, defeating Porto with a 2-0 score line. Lionel Messi scored the opening goal, then followed it up with an assist to Fabregas to seal the deal for the Spanish side.

In terms of their recent form, Barcelona have yet to concede a match in La Liga. In typical Barcelona fashion, they have been dominating the Spanish league by winning six of their eight games this season.

They are tied with Atletico to have the best goal difference in La Liga with 11, and they are currently second in the league table, only one point behind league leaders Real Madrid.

As for Porto, they are currently one of the top teams in Primeira Liga, as they usually are. They have won five of their seven games this season, garnering 16 league points. They are currently third on the league table, with just Sporting and Benfica ahead of them.

Betting Tip 

It looks like SBOTOP Champions League 2023 betting odds have Barcelona as the favourites to win this one. Both teams are in good form, and both are excelling in their respective leagues, but Barcelona are priced at 1.92 to win, while Porto are at a modest 3.40.

With the draw price at 3.50, I would’ve expected this game to be priced slightly closer. A draw at 3.50 definitely has value, as I personally see these two teams as the top two teams to come out of Group H, with maybe Barcelona edging it out through goals.

But realistically, Barcelona 1X2 at 1.92 and Barcelona Asian Handicap -0.5 at 1.92 are the safest lines with the best value.

Over Under Goals Over 2.75 at 1.96 is also a good line given that Barcelona have been on an offencive masterclass this year. Porto, on the other hand, have only scored 10 times in seven games, which is the fewest goals among the top 5 teams in Liga Portugal.

 

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