Champions League
2022-09-13 - Porto vs Club Brugge
A Sports Betting Pick by Auls
Football: UEFA Champions League
Tuesday 13th September 2022 - Kick Off 8pm
This game is live on TV
Porto
Match Day 1 had plenty of drama, but I doubt there will be more than what we saw in the Atletico Madrid-Porto game throughout the remainder of the Group Stage. Three goals during injury time saw the emotions swing wildly, but ultimately Porto finished without any points and need to bounce back on Match Day 2 when hosting this fixture.
They failed to make it out of the Champions League Group Stage last season, but Porto will feel they have the quality to finish above both Club Brugge and Bayer Leverkusen. Home form is going to be important for Porto, but in recent years they have won 2 of their last 6 games here in the Champions League and the side have lost 3 of their last 4.
Porto have made a decent enough start to the season with 6 wins from 8 games in all competitions, but they have lost half of their last 4 fixtures. The side have won 11 home games in a row in all competitions since their disappointing 0-1 defeat to Lyon in the Europa League Knock Out Rounds, while Porto have scored at least three goals in all 4 home wins this season.
Mehdri Taremi was sent off late on in the defeat at Atletico Madrid and will serve a suspension. Otavio is expected to miss out with an injury.
Club Brugge
Last season saw Club Brugge placed in a Group that contained Leipzig, Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester City so it is perhaps no surprise that they failed to even slip into the Europa League. The draw looks to have been much kinder on paper this season, but Club Brugge will know they have a gap to bridge if they are going to be playing European Football in the second half of the campaign.
They showed they can dig in and earn a positive result with their 1-0 victory over Bayer Leverkusen on Match Day 1, but Club Brugge earned 4 points from their first two Champions League Group games last season before taking a few thumping defeats. While the side won at Leipzig last season, Club Brugge suffered 4-1 losses at both Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain and have lost 3 of their last 5 away Champions League games.
Club Brugge began the season in slightly underwhelming form, but they look to be motoring now with 6 straight wins in all competitions behind them. They have won 11 of their last 13 away games in all competitions and Club Brugge have scored at least twice in their last 3 on their travels and have won all of those matches.
A number of key players remain absent for Club Brugge.
Head to Head
Porto and Club Brugge met in the 2016/17 Champions League Group Stage and the Portuguese club won both fixtures.
Porto have won both previous home games against Club Brugge.
Prediction
Mixed results on Match Day 1 means Porto and Club Brugge will be going into this fixture in different frames of mind.
The pressure is on Porto who were beaten last week at Atletico Madrid, while Club Brugge secured an important three points in their 1-0 win over Bayer Leverkusen.
However, Club Brugge were perhaps a touch fortunate in the first game in the Group and they have not always been the best travellers in European competition. They were beaten heavily at Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain last season, but this is an 'easier' game and Club Brugge have been in strong away form.
The Belgian Champions are a team who score plenty of goals and they will feel they can hurt Porto, but the hosts have been very strong at home to open this season. Porto have been scoring lots of goals here and I do think will be able to get on the front foot and hurt Club Brugge.
It was the case when Porto hosting Sporting and Chaves in recent games here and I do think the home team can be backed to win a game that features at least two goals.
The Statistics :
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The Pick :
Porto 3-1 Club Brugge
