Porto vs AS Roma 07/03/19

7 March 2019

Porto and AS Roma go head-to-head at the Estádio do Dragão for the return leg of their Champions League last-16 tie as the hosts try to overcome a 2-1 loss from the first leg.

The current Portuguese holders come into this encounter following a 2-1 home defeat to arch-rivals Benfica that has brought their three-game winning streak to an end. Nonetheless, the Blue and Whites have been impressive at home this season, picking up 17 wins in 21 home clashes across all competitions (W17, D1, L3). What’s more, the Dragons have secured all three triumphs in the Champions League group stage, scoring eight goals while conceding just two in the process. Relentless in the final third, Sérgio Conceição’s men have scored in every single home outing this season, bagging 2+ match goals on 15 occasions along the way. Meanwhile, Porto’s defense has managed to live up to expectations, especially in the recent period having preserved a clean slate in three successive games before conceding two goals to Benfica.

Just like their opponents, the visitors go into this meeting in a bad mood having suffered a frustrating 3-0 loss to bitter rivals Lazio at the weekend. It was Roma’s first defeat after four consecutive victories across all competitions and was also the third time in their last eight clashes that they’ve conceded over 2.5 goals per match. Far more comfortable at home, the Giallorossi have lost five of their previous ten away fixtures (W3, D2, L5), allowing 2+ match goals six times in the process. However, Eusebio Di Francesco’s men have scored three goals per match three times on their last five road trips although conceded over 1.5 goals per game four times along the way. Additionally, Di Francesco can’t be happy about the fact his players have lost two of three CL road races this season, conceding six goals while scoring three.