Maccabi's tough test against group leaders Porto

FC Porto's first-ever meeting with Israeli opponents ended satisfactorily with a 2-0 win against Maccabi Tel-Aviv FC on matchday three and in the reverse fixture they will look to strengthen their lead in Group G.

Match background

Maccabi
• The Tel Aviv club, back in the group stage after 11 years, began with a 4-0 defeat at Chelsea FC on matchday one before going down 2-0 at home to FC Dynamo Kyiv. The loss in Portugal means they are one of only two teams without a point – FC Shakhtar Donetsk are the other.

• Despite Eran Zahavi's seven goals in the qualifying rounds, Maccabi won only two of their six fixtures in qualifying and have now lost five of their nine UEFA Champions League matches this season.

• The last time Maccabi were in this elite company, in 2004/05, they had the misfortune of sharing a group with three former winners: FC Bayern München, Juventus and AFC Ajax.

• They finished in fourth place but some consolation came at home with a win over Ajax and a draw with Juve.

• Maccabi's only previous encounter with Portuguese opposition, a 2002/03 UEFA Cup first round tie with Boavista FC, produced a 1-0 first-leg win in their home game, which was staged in Sofia. They went down 4-1 away.

Porto
• The 2003/04 and 1986/87 European Cup winners have scored two goals in each of their three games so far.

• They began their 20th group stage campaign with a 2-2 draw in Kyiv and then won 2-1 at home to Chelsea.

• Porto hope to improve on last season's run to the quarter-finals where they lost 7-4 on aggregate to FC Bayern München, suffering a 6-1 second-leg loss in Germany.

• Before that game Julen Lopetegui's men had been unbeaten on the road in the competition, play-offs included, winning three of their five fixtures. They have only lost three of their last 13 away European games, winning four, including play-offs.

• Porto's away fixtures in Group H last term began with a 2-2 draw at FC Shakhtar Donetsk before they won 2-0 at Athletic Club and 3-0 at FC BATE Borisov.

 Coach and player links
• Miguel Layún scored twice in Mexico's 3-0 friendly win over an Israel team who included Eden Ben Basat, Tal Ben Haim I, Tal Ben Haim II, Yuval Spungin, Eran Zahavi, Gil Vermouth and Omri Ben Harush on 29 May 2014.

• Vincent Aboubakar's FC Lorient lost 2-0 away against Ben Basat's Stade Brestois 29 in Ligue 1 on 2 November 2012, the Israeli forward scoring the first goal.

• Ben Basat also scored in Israel's 3-3 Tel Aviv draw against Silvestre Varela's Portugal in a FIFA World Cup qualifier on 22 March 2013.

• Maxi Pereira's SL Benfica lost 3-0 at Hapoel Tel-Aviv FC, for whom Zahavi scored twice, in the 2010/11 UEFA Champions League group stage.

• André Silva scored in Portugal's 3-0 win against an Israel team, who included Sean Goldberg and Dan Glazer, in the 2014 UEFA EURO Under-19 Championship group stage.

Match facts

Maccabi
• Tal Ben Haim I's next yellow card will incur a suspension.

• Maccabi have lost six of their last ten games.

• Carlos García's second goal in four games earned Maccabi a 1-0 derby victory over Hapoel Tel-Aviv FC on Saturday. His previous 54 games had brought a solitary goal.

• Zahavi has scored five goals in his last five club appearances.

• Nosakhare Igiebor has missed the last seven fixtures with a knee injury and might require surgery. Dejan Radonjić (back) has also not featured since matchday one. Right-back Eli Dasa (hamstring) is still out.

Porto
• Danilo's next yellow card will incur a suspension.

• Porto were scheduled to face CF União da Madeira on Saturday but the match was postponed because adverse weather meant their plane was unable to land in Madeira.

• Porto are 17 games unbeaten in all competitions since a 6-1 defeat by Bayern in the second leg of their 2014/15 UEFA Champions League quarter-final.

• The 0-0 draw with SC Braga on 25 October ended Porto's run of 20 consecutive home wins.

• Yacine Brahimi sustained a hamstring injury against Braga and is expected to miss the trip to Israel.

• André Silva (out since 20 September, ankle) made his comeback for Porto's B side on 21 October.