Before you treat your significant other to the night of their dreams on Valentine’s Day, there are two Champions League tilts you cannot miss.
It’s taken a long time for Liverpool to get back to this stage. The Reds have stumbled a lot over the last decade, but Jurgen Klopp has his team playing exceptionally well. They were unbeaten in Group Stage action, finishing above both Sevilla and Spartak Moscow to make it to the Round of 16.
Porto has been a mainstay on the international stage. Although Portugal’s domestic league does not get much attention worldwide, Porto ensures that it is respected with solid Champions League performances every season. They finished second in their group, beating out Red Bull Leipzig and AS Monaco in order to make it to the knockout rounds.
Don't miss the Champions League action from Estadio de Dragao at 2:45 p.m. ET on Wednesday, February 14, 2018. Catch every moment of the match live on FS2.
Champions League Betting Odds at BookMaker.eu
Liverpool +128
Porto +199
Draw +237
Over/Under 2.5, 3
Odds Analysis
It speaks volumes that Porto is a home underdog heading into this one. Although Porto has dominated in the Portuguese domestic league, failing to drop a game through 20 matches, it is one of the more top-heavy leagues in soccer. Porto really only needs to get up for its matches against Benfica and Sporting in order to win.
There is always a lot of action on English teams in any international competition. That’s why you see England consistently listed as one of the six or seven favorites for every World Cup, despite middling performances.
However, Liverpool have given us plenty of reason to believe. They continually play up, or down, to their level of competition and have a very high ceiling when clicking on all cylinders.
Key Absences
Because of card accumulation, both Porto and Liverpool will be without a key player for the first leg of this tilt.
Liverpool will be without the services of Emre Can, a center midfielder who has been a key part of the Reds’ success this year. His versatility makes him indispensable to Liverpool’s defensive efforts as he can seamlessly transition between positions while the Reds go on the attack. Not having him is a huge loss.
Meanwhile, Porto won’t be able to use defenseman Felipe in this one. Felipe received a straight red in a meaningless match against Monaco at the tail end of the Group Stage. He is not as important to Porto as Emre Can is to Liverpool though.
On the injury front, Porto is pretty healthy, while Liverpool’s injuries are mostly to reserve players. The one contributor who may or may not play in this one is defenseman Nathaniel Clyne.
Recent Form
It’s unsurprising to see Porto keep winning in Portugal. However, they are not as dominant as you’d think. They are 4-0-1 in their last five, but only won by multiple goals once.
As for Liverpool, this continues to be a team of ups and downs. They became the first, and only, team in England to knock off Manchester City, but followed that up with losses to Swansea and West Brom. That has been a trend over the past few seasons for the Reds.
Free Soccer Betting Pick
There is a lot of intrigue surrounding Liverpool right now. Emre Can looks set to leave the team in the offseason, while Adam Lallana is in hot water after going after a Tottenham youth player in a rehab appearance. There have been plenty of distractions for them to deal with, and this team might not be fully focused as they should be.
Porto has one of the better home crowds you will find and they will cheer the team on to a monumental victory that will put Liverpool on the back foot in Anfield.
Champions League Odds: Porto 2, Liverpool 1
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