Champions League
2010-02-17 - FC Porto vs Arsenal
A Sports Betting Pick by Cruiser
Analysis:Arsenal will be hoping to get a good result here when they travel to face FC Porto away from home in a bid to reach the Champions League quarter-finals.
Arsenal will hope to follow the footsteps of Manchester United when they travel to Portugal to face Porto. Arsene Wenger's men have never won in Portugal, with their four previous visits to the country resulting in three draws and a defeat.
And to make matters worse, they have found the target just once during those fixtures and were seen off 2-0 by Porto at Estadio do Dragao during the group stages of last season's competition.
The record does not read good for English sides as no English side have ever managed to score more than once at Porto's home grounds. However, the last two English sides that left there have managed 1-0 wins.
Arsenal's recent away form in Europe will be giving Wenger cause for concern, though, with just one win taken from their last seven trips away from home.
During that run the Gunners have failed to find the target in four of those games. But Arsenal will be glad that Porto have picked up just one win from their last 12 Champions League encounters with English sides.
Their last meeting with a Premier League side came in the quarter-finals of last season's competition, when they were seen off 3-2 on aggregate by English Champions Manchester United.
As for the team news, Porto will be boosted by the return of Hulk to the first team. The centre-forward has been provisionally suspended for six months by the Portuguese football federation for his part in a tunnel bust-up involving Benfica stewards last December but is now free to play in European ties.
Midfielder Raul Meireles, who has been sidelined for a month, will also return to the first team. Uruguayan Alvaro Pereira is also back in contention and could be handed an immediate return to Ferreira's starting eleven.
As for Arsenal, their injury woes continues and they are set to be without five first team players. Defender William Gallas (back), midfielder Alex Song (knee) and Andrey Arshavin (hamstring) are all absent from the team. Their cause has been weaken by the absence of goalkeeper Manuel Almunia (finger) and striker Eduardo (hamstring).
Veteran former captain Sol Campbell could be set for a first European appearance for the Gunners since the 2006 Champions League final defeat by Barcelona in Paris, while forward Carlos Vela i back after a knee injury.
Robin van Persie (ankle) and Johan Djourou (knee) are both out on long term injurees.
Take F.C Porto to win here.
Cheers and good luck,
Cruiser
BEST BETTING TIP :
Take F.C Porto to win here.
Gooner’s Statistical Value Bet
Take F.C Porto and give the 1/4 ball here.
