Porto vs Roma preview: Portuguese champions looking to overturn deficit

Porto are looking to overturn a 2-1 deficit in their Champions League last-16 second leg against Roma at the Estadio do Dragao on Wednesday night.

Adrian Lopez came off the bench in the first leg to score a late away goal which keeps the Portuguese giants in the tie. However, two goals from youngster Nicolo Zaniolo ensures Roma are still in the driving seat.

Porto are without a win in their last six Champions League knockout matches, and manager Sergio Conceicao says his side must be patient if they are to find a way through to the quarter-final stages.

He said: "We need to win the game, but not so quickly. We have to be at a good level defensively; Roma have the third-best attack in Serie A. Balance will be essential to get the win.

"The collective is what counts. Our confidence is from our day-to-day work, not from any individual player. We need to be effective in attack, but also in defence. There's no need for a battle-cry: the game is in our hands."

Last season's semi-finalists Roma had won their last three games in all competitions before a 3-0 defeat in the Lazio derby in Serie A on Sunday.

Team news

Moussa Marega, who has five goals in the competition this season, has recovered from a thigh injury quicker than expected and could feature for Porto after playing 90 minutes against Benfica at the weekend.

Fellow striker Vincent Aboubakar remains out after surgery on a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament in September. Adrian Lopez is pushing for a start after coming off the bench to score in the first leg.

Roma should have Kostas Manolas available after his recovery from an ankle injury. The Greek defender missed the weekend's Serie A clash with Lazio with a virus but could come in for Juan Jesus if he is fully recovered.

Winger Cengiz Under has not played since January because of a thigh injury and he is unlikely to return here. Nicolo Zaniolo limped out of the Lazio game but is expected to be fit.

Opta stats

• 45.8 per cent of the teams to have won 2-1 at home in the first leg of a Champions League knockout tie have progressed to the next round (11 out of 24).
• Porto knocked out Roma in their two previous two-legged encounters (1981/82 Cup Winners' Cup second round, 2016/17 Champions League play-off).
• Porto will be looking to reach the quarter-finals of the Champions League for the first time since 2014/15 while Roma are attempting to make it to the quarter-finals for a second consecutive season for the first time since 2007/08.
• Roma have lost each of their last seven Champions League knockout stage matches away from home - the last time they won an away game in the knockout stages came back in March 2008 against Real Madrid in the round of 16.
• Porto have won none of their last six Champions League knockout games (D1 L5), failing to score in four of their last five matches.
• Porto haven't progressed from a two-legged tie in the Champions League/European Cup after losing the first leg since October 1986, in a last-16 tie of the European Cup against FC Vítkovice. They lost 1-0 away in the first leg before beating them 3-0 in Portugal in the second leg.
• Seven of Roma's starting XI in the first leg against Porto were Italian; the first time that they have started as many Italians in a Champions League game since September 2010 versus Bayern Munich (7) and the first Italian team to start as many in the competition since Juventus versus Copenhagen in September 2013 (7).
• Roma had nine shots on target in the first leg of their tie against Porto, which was the most the Portuguese side had allowed an opponent in the Champions League since April 2015 (10 vs Bayern Munich) - a run of 29 games.
• Despite playing only 22 minutes against Roma in the first leg, Adrian Lopez set up the most shots for Porto (3). He also scored their only goal, his first in the competition since September 2014.
• In the first leg against Porto, Roma's Nicolo Zaniolo became the second youngest (19y 225d) player to score a brace in a Champions League knockout match behind Kylian Mbappe in April 2017 for Monaco (18y 113d).
• Edin Dzeko has been involved in 14 goals in his last 11 Champions League appearances for Roma (10 goals, 4 assists). He's only failed to either score or assist in one of the 11 games during this run.

Charlie's prediction

It's tighter than I expected going into the second leg. Roma were my dark horses, in that they need to avoid the top draw, but I expect them to get through.

Edin Dzeko didn't score in the first leg but Nicolo Zaniolo got both. I feel like he's a bit special on these occasions though.

I wouldn't be surprised if Roma go and win in Porto, and that's what I've gone for.

CHARLIE PREDICTS: 0-1 (12/1 with Sky Bet)

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