In the driving seat of this Europa League round-of-16 tie, Porto look to seal passage to the quarter-finals as they welcome Stuttgart to Estadio do Dragao on Thursday for the second leg.
Francesco Farioli’s men head into this clash with a one-goal advantage after securing a 2-1 victory in Germany last week, in what was the first-ever meeting between the two sides.
Match preview
A fast start in last week’s first leg saw Porto race into a two-goal lead in a seven-minute burst before the half-hour mark, as Terem Moffi’s opener was followed by Rodrigo Mora’s strike, leaving Denis Undav’s 40th-minute effort a mere consolation.
That result marked a sixth win in nine Europa League outings this season (D2, L1) for the Dragons, who secured direct passage to this round after finishing in the top eight, while it also leaves them on the brink of reaching the quarter-finals for the first time since 2013-14.
A strong record at the Dragao suggests Porto can get the job done, having lost just one of their 21 matches at the ground this term (W18, D2), a run that includes a perfect record on their own turf in the league phase campaign, winning all four such matches while scoring at least twice each time.
That dominance at home was evident again on Sunday, when the Blue and Whites put three past Moreirense through goals from Gabri Veiga, Oskar Pietuszewski and William Gomes, with the result moving the Dragons seven points clear at the top of the Primeira Liga table.
While that momentum boosts confidence ahead of Thursday’s clash, a rare precedent offers a note of caution, as the two-time UEL/UEFA Cup winners were eliminated by Krasnodar in the 2019-20 Champions League qualifiers despite carrying a one-goal lead from the first leg away from home.
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© Imago / Goal Sports Images
Stuttgart, meanwhile, have little history to lean on in terms of European comebacks in return legs, but Sebastian Hoeness’s side can draw belief from their last away outing in the Europa League, where they beat Celtic 4-1 in Glasgow in the previous round.
That result underlined their attacking threat on the road, with the Reds scoring at least twice in 10 of their last 13 away matches; all seven wins in that stretch came while conceding no more than once, so defensive discipline will be key if they are to turn this tie around.
There is also a recent display of resilience to build on, as Stuttgart secured a 1-0 win over Leipzig at home over the weekend, with Undav’s second-half strike proving decisive.
That victory strengthened the Reds’ Champions League push by keeping them fourth in the Bundesliga while also ending a two-game winless run and marking just their second success in six outings across all competitions.
This leaves Stuttgart battling inconsistency ahead of Thursday’s encounter as they chase a first quarter-final appearance on the continental stage since reaching the UEFA Cup final in 1988–89, when they lost to Napoli.
Porto Europa League form:
Porto form (all competitions):
Stuttgart Europa League form:
Stuttgart form (all competitions):
Team News
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© Imago / ZUMA Press Wire
Porto will remain without strikers Samu Omorodion and Luuk de Jong, who are both sidelined for the rest of the season with knee injuries, while long-term absentee Nehuen Perez is also expected to miss out as he continues recovery from an Achilles problem.
Pietuszewski was forced off in Sunday’s win over Moreirense, though the teenager may not be a major miss even if ruled out, having not featured in any Europa League matches since his January arrival.
On a positive note, the hosts could welcome back veteran defender Thiago Silva, who returned to training on Tuesday after missing the weekend following a personal bereavement.
As for Stuttgart, Lazar Jovanovic is expected to remain unavailable due to a back issue that has kept him out since early January.
Defender Josha Vagnoman has also missed the last four matches with a thigh injury, leaving his availability for Thursday in doubt.
Porto possible starting lineup:
D Costa; A Costa, Bednarek, Kiwior, Zaidu; Fofana, Rosario, Veiga; Sainz, Moffi, Gomes
Stuttgart possible starting lineup:
Nubel; Nartey, Jeltsch, Chabot, Mittelstadt; Karazor, Stiller; Fuhrich, Undav, El Khannouss; Demirovic
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We say: Porto 2-1 Stuttgart
Having ended the first leg on the front foot, Stuttgart will carry belief into the return fixture as they look to overturn the deficit, though that approach could leave space for a Porto side that has repeatedly found ways to grind out results this season.
That makes this a tough assignment for the visitors, whose last three defeats on the road came when they failed to score more than once, and with the hosts so reliable at the Dragao, Porto are backed to secure another win and progress.
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