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CHELSEA v FC Porto: Champions League Preview

Date: Tuesday 13th April 2021

Venue: Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán

Kick-off: 20:00 BST

We’ve bounced back from the battering West Brom gave us, to beat Porto in the Champions League quarter-final first leg ‘away’ and we added goals to our game, in some style, against Crystal Palace at the weekend. Tonight though, it’s back to Seville for the second leg of the Champions League quarter final and we can expect a tougher game of it.

Porto have lost five and drawn two of their last seven against English sides, they’ve also managed to come through just one in 20 Champions League knockout ties away from home. The Portuguese side scored twice in their win against Tondela at the weekend though and will come to score goals tonight.

Chelsea are unbeaten in nine in the Champions League and have lost just one game in their last 17 in all competitions, it’s just unfortunate the tie is in Seville because Chelsea have never managed to win three European matches in a row in Spain.

Our win against Porto in the first leg made it six from nine meetings, it also put us within touching distance of the semi-finals, so if we don’t come out of this with a seventh win and a place in the semi-finals, we’ll need our backsides kicking.

MANAGER’S VIEWS

Going into today’s game Thomas Tuchel, says “We have to accept against Porto that the game will be up and down. In some instances we controlled the match, created half chances, good counter-pressing but then in some minutes they escaped the pressure. Sometimes they overload sides and give you a lot of questions. In the first leg we experienced ups and downs, then the momentum shifted, this is what you have to accept against them.

I think in terms of adapting it is easier for Porto because they know they need to score three goals. For them it is absolutely clear. We will not change the approach because of the result last week.”

Porto manager, Sergio Conceicao, meanwhile, says “We need to be cohesive and compact. We also need to score and not suffer, that has to be our match strategy.it’s not with lots of forward players that we attack more or with more defenders that we defend better.  We have to score. Be well balanced at different times of the match, but most of all we have to score. One goal at a time because we can’t score two at the same time.  But that calm and serious way of thinking, knowing what we have ahead of us is important without being too anxious. We just have to focus on the work and not the final result, because we have to work to reach the end result, to achieve our goal.

We are confident. We know that we face a difficult task, but we are here to give the answer that we have to give.”

SQUAD NEWS

For Chelsea, Thiago Silva served his domestic suspension on Saturday and should be fit, along with N’Golo Kante, who has overcome a hamstring injury.

For Porto, Diogo Costa, Ivan Marcano and Mouhamed Mbaye are expected to miss out, whilst Taremi and Sergio Oliveira back to the squad after their suspensions in the first leg.

TEAMS

CHELSEA (Possible line-up): Mendy; Azpilicueta, Silva, Christensen; James, Kovacic, Kante, Alonso; Ziyech, Mount; Werner

PORTO (Possible line-up): Marchesin; Manafa, Mbemba, Pepe, Sanusi; Corona, Uribe, Oliveira, Otavio; Marega, Taremi

CL FORM

CHELSEA: WWDWWW

PORTO: WDWWLL

OTHER STUFF

  • Chelsea have won the first leg of a Champions League knockout tie for the 11th time, progressing on eight of the previous 10 occasions
  • Chelsea have won each of their last two matches in European competition that were held in Spain
  • Chelsea have never won three consecutive European matches held in Spain.
  • After beating Leicester City 5-0 in the group stages of this competition in December 2016, Porto are winless in their following seven matches against English sides in the Champions League
  • Chelsea are unbeaten in the Champions League this season
  • Chelsea have kept seven clean sheets in nine Champions League matches this season
  • Porto have won only one of their 20 Champions League knockout stage matches as the away side

PREDICTION

Sportsmole: Chelsea 2-1 Porto

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