Porto vs Antwerp Prediction: Porto can take further step towards qualification

Royal Antwerp claimed the Belgian title last season, but their Champions League campaign has been a tale of misery and the latest instalment at Porto could be little for them to write home about either. 

They have conceded 12 goals in their three qualifiers, with Porto striker Evanilson helping himself to a hat-trick in a 4-1 victory for the Primeira Liga side in the reverse fixture a fortnight ago. 

Porto are much more seasoned performers at this level and should take a big step towards ensuring their place in the knockout stages for the sixth time in their last seven Champions League campaigns. 

Match Odds 

Porto are highly fancied to come through this game with a victory and are 1/3 to take three points. Royal Antwerp are 7/1 to cause an upset and the draw is available at 7/2. 

Over 2.5 goals can be backed at 4/6 while both teams to score is EVS. Porto’s Iranian striker Mahdi Taremi is the favourite in the first-goalscorer market and is 18/5 to net the game’s opener. 

Team news 

Both of these teams have pretty hefty injury lists to deal with as they prepare for their fourth Champions League group game of the campaign. 

Porto are set to be without Gateno, Zaidu Sanusi, Gabriel Veron, Ivan Marcano, Ivan Jaime and Wendall. 

Meanwhile, Bjorn Engels, Jacob Onderjka, Anthony Valencia and Mandela Keita are set to be missing for Royal Antwerp, for whom former Tottenham striker Vincent Janssen is expected to lead the line. 

Porto and both teams to score @ 21/10

Royal Antwerp have embarked on a big learning curve in this season’s Champions League and they look set to fall short again here against a team who know what dining at Europe’s top table is all about. 

Porto put the Belgian champions firmly in their place a fortnight ago, and it has to be a concern that Antwerp conceded three goals in defeat to Shakhtar Donetsk after losing 5-0 at Barcelona. 

Tuesday’s game calls for a gung-ho effort and they could gain their rewards by scoring a goal, but it is difficult to see Porto not sealing this one, even if they do concede. 

#PickYourPunt - Evanilson to score, over 2.5 goals & over 7.5 Porto corners @ 5/1 

Evanilson was unfortunate to start the corresponding fixture on the bench, but he more than made up for that by scoring a hat-trick, so backing the Brazilian to score at any time is the first selection in a #PickYourPunt treble. 

After three defeats, Antwerp have nothing to lose so we can expect them to push forward, which could offer Porto plenty of opportunities, so it would be no surprise if there were more than two goals. 

And the final component is to back Porto to have more than 7.5 corners. They average 7.9 in their home league matches this season, which is the highest mark in the Primeira Liga.