This Wednesday, FC Porto travels to the stronghold of newcomer Antwerp in an attempt to strengthen its bid to qualify for the round of 16 of the football Champions League, on the third day of Group H.
After two days, the ‘blue and white’ team remains, with three points, in second place in the group, where it can isolate itself, while Shakhtar Donetsk, third, also with three, travels to the redoubt of the 100% victorious leader FC Barcelona .
The ‘dragons’, who when they hear the initial whistle at the Bosuil Stadium, at 8:00 p.m. (in Lisbon), will already know the result of the other match, which starts at 5:45 p.m. (in Lisbon), are looking for their second victory away from home, after the 3-1 defeat to Shakhtar, in Hamburg, in the premiere.
In the middle, the ‘eleven’ led by Sérgio Conceição lost the ‘battle’ for first place, falling 1-0 against the Catalans, led by João Cancelo and João Félix, due to a goal from substitute Ferran Torres, at 45+ 1 minutes. .
In a foreign bastion, although in practice on a neutral field, FC Porto nevertheless won the only match played, having also won in the last three trips to Belgium, to Genk (3-0 in 2010/11) and to the Club Brugge (2-1 in 2016/17 and 4-0 in 2022/23).
To face the Belgians, who lost their two games, 5-0 in Barcelona and 3-2 (after leading 2-0) at home against Shakhtar, FC Porto could count on its central defender, its captain and the ‘ 40’ Pepe.
In the case of playing, the Portuguese international center back even becomes the oldest outfield player to play in the ‘Champions’, at 40 years and 241 days old, succeeding the Italian Alessandro Costacurta on the list, who, on November 21 2006, He played for AC Milan, against AEK Athens, at the age of 40 years and 211 days.
Paris Saint-Germain’s reception of AC Milan, in Group F, is the ‘big game’ of the day, in a third day that, for the Portuguese teams, began on Tuesday, with Benfica seriously jeopardizing its chances , losing 1-0 at home. at the home of the Spanish Real Sociedad, while Sporting de Braga also lost (2-1), but in a match in which they gave a great response to the ‘almighty’ Real Madrid.
The match between FC Porto and Antwerp, on the third day of Group H of the soccer Champions League, is scheduled at 9 p.m. local time (8 p.m. in Lisbon), at the Bosuil stadium in Antwerp, with the referee French Benoît Bastien.
Source: TSF
