Premier League heavyweights Arsenal will lock horns with Portuguese powerhouse FC Porto in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League Round of 16 clash on Wednesday night (February 21). Continue reading to learn all the key details about the fascinating encounter.
UEFA Champions League Round Of 16: Porto Vs. Arsenal – Date, Time, Venue & Where To Watch In US
Arsenal will travel to Estadio Do Dragao for their UEFA Champions League Round of 16 first-leg meeting with Porto on Wednesday night (February 21). The game is scheduled to kick off at 3 PM ET / 12:00 PM PT.
Fans in the United States can stream the game live on Paramount+. The service costs $5.99 per month for the basic package and $11.99 without ads. However, Paramount+ is currently running a seven-day trial, allowing fans to watch Champions League games for free. The game will also be available on TUDN USA via FuboTV. Arsenal supporters in Canada can catch the game on DAZN.
UEFA Champions League Round Of 16: Porto Vs. Arsenal – Preview
Recent Form
Porto have been in decent form in the Primeira Liga in the 2023-24 season, raking in 48 points after 22 rounds of fixtures. They are currently in third place in the rankings, sitting seven points behind joint-leaders Benfica and Sporting CP. In their last five games, Porto have won thrice, drawn once, and lost once. They secured a 2-0 win over Estrela Amadora in their last outing.
Having secured 55 points from 25 matches, Arsenal are also in third place in the Premier League. They are, however, only a couple of points behind league leaders Liverpool. The Gunners are on a five-game winning run in the Premier League, with them bagging massive wins over West Ham United (6-0) and Burnley (5-0) in their last two games.
Team News
Except for Nigerian full-back Zaidu Sanusi, who suffered a knock in the 2-0 win over Estrela da Amadora on Sunday (February 18), Porto pretty much have a fit squad. Arsenal, meanwhile, have quite a few absentees to deal with. Gabriel Jesus (knee), Takehiro Tomiyasu (knock), and Oleksandr Zinchenko (calf) are still recovering from their issues and have not made the trip to Portugal. Fabio Vieira and Thomas Partey returned to Arsenal training last week, but they are still not in fighting shape.
Head-To-Head
Arsenal and Porto have faced each other six times in the UEFA Champions League, with the former dominating the results. The Londoners have won thrice, the Portuguese side twice, and there has been one draw.
UEFA Champions League Round Of 16: Porto Vs. Arsenal – Prediction
Porto are one of the best teams in Portugal but they have not clicked into gear this season. On Wednesday, they will face a team bubbling with confidence, and we are not sure they have what it takes to contain them. We are backing Mikel Arteta’s side to come away with a comfortable 3-1 victory in their UEFA Champions League Round of 16 first leg.