FC Porto vs Leicester City; UEFA Champions League Group G
FC Porto vs Leicester City. UEFA Champions League Group G.
Estadio do DragaoAttendance39,310.
FC Porto 5
- A Silva (6th minute, 64th minute pen)
- J Corona (26th minute)
- Y Brahimi (44th minute)
- D Jota (77th minute)
Leicester City 0
FC Porto v Leicester City preview: Foxes without Islam Slimani for final group game
Wednesday 7 December 2016 19:59, UK
Leicester City travel to Porto in their final Champions League group game with the luxury of having already qualified for the knockout stages as Group G winners.
The Premier League champions' first venture into Europe's elite-club competition has fared substantially better than their maiden title defence, with their matchday five victory over Club Brugge assuring their passage into the round of 16.
Given their poor domestic form, and with qualification already secured, it remains to be seen how Claudio Ranieri approaches Wednesday's task at the Estadio do Dragao, although he will no doubt be hoping to transfer the Foxes' fine European form to the league.
And such indecision could play right into the hands of Porto, who will finish second if they beat Leicester or if Copenhagen fail to win against Club Brugge.
Team news
Ranieri will be without Islam Slimani (groin) and long-term absentee Kasper Schmeichel (hand) for the trip to Portugal.
Ben Chilwell (ankle) is a doubt while Nampalys Mendy could feature for the first time since August.
Attacking midfielder Otavio and defensive midfielder Danilo Pereira are the only doubts for Porto boss Nuno Espirito Santo.
Champions League stats
English clubs have travelled to Porto 11 times in the Champions League, winning only twice (Man Utd in April 2009, Chelsea in November 2009), drawing four times and losing on a further five occasions.
No English club has ever scored more than one goal on their trips to Porto in the Champions League (11 games).
In their last 11 Champions League games against English sides, Porto have either found the net twice (four times) or failed to score (seven times).
Leicester are the first team since Malaga in 2012/13 to finish top of the group on their Champions League debut.
Porto have lost only one of their last 11 home games in the Champions League (W7 D3), it was against Dynamo Kiev in November 2015 (0-2). It's also the only time they've failed to score in those 11 games.
Porto have failed to win their final group game in each of their last five Champions League campaigns (D2 L3). Their last victory on matchday six dates back to December 2009 (3-0 v Atlético Madrid).
Leicester have the joint-best defensive record in this season's Champions League alongside Atlético Madrid (one goal conceded in five games).
Charlie's prediction
The job is done in Europe for Leicester whereas Porto still need to qualify, so I actually think this is the home banker of the night.
Claudio Ranieri has some big decisions to make and it's amazing they've topped the group when they've been awful domestically.
People say it was an easy group but this is still Leicester we're talking about - a team who were expected to be in a relegation battle every season. This is still pretty much that side but on double the wages now.
I don't think Jamie Vardy deserves to start but it might actually suit him with the space to knock it into as Porto will dominate the game.
However, the big question for them is where the goals are going to come from considering they scored their first goal in five at the weekend.
CHARLIE PREDICTS: 2-0 and Diogo Jota to score first (13/1 with Sky Bet)
Betting
Porto have been backed into 1/3 with Sky Bet to secure the victory, with Leicester drifting out from 5/1 to 10/1 while the draw is priced at 4/1. With the hosts such short odds on the night, they are just 1/9 to qualify for the last 16 while third-placed Copenhagen are 5/1 to progress. Andre Silva is deemed the hosts' main goal threat at 11/4 to net first while Jamie Vardy and Islam Slimani are tied on the visitors' side of the first goalscorer betting at 11/1 apiece.
