Porto v Roma preview: all you need to know
Tuesday, March 5, 2019
Article summary
"There is no rush," says Porto coach Sérgio Conceição as they seek to overturn a 2-1 deficit against Roma.
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- FOLLOW LIVE BUILD-UP FROM PORTO
- Roma protecting 2-1 lead after first leg
- Porto winless in last six knockout games: D1 L5
- Giallorossi's record in Portugal: W2 D3 L2
- Porto won every home match in group stage
Reporter's view (Carlos Machado, UEFA.com): Whose morale will be restored first? Both sides are reeling from big domestic defeats – Porto lost 2-1 at home to Benfica on Saturday, while Lazio beat Roma 3-0. If they score and don't concede, Porto are through, so Éder Militão's return is a real fillip – he should join Pepe, Felipe and Alex Telles in a tough defence. Francisco Soares, meanwhile, may be the man to partner Moussa Marega up front. Could these changes make the difference?
Possible line-ups
Porto: Casillas; Militão, Pepe, Felipe, Alex Telles; Danilo, Herrera, Óliver; Corona, Brahimi, Marega
Out: none
Doubtful: none
Misses next game if booked: Héctor Herrera, Militão, Otávio, Pepe
Roma: Olsen; Karsdorp, Manolas, Marcano, Kolarov; Zaniolo, De Rossi, Pellegrini; Florenzi, Džeko, El Shaarawy
Out: Cengiz Ünder (thigh), Pastore (calf)
Key battle
Marega v Manolas: Porto lacked penetration in the first leg without their five-goal leading scorer, but fit-again Moussa Marega will lead the charge on home soil, where he has struck in every UEFA Champions League outing this season. In his way, illness permitting, will be Kostas Manolas, Roma's most reliable defender, whose success or otherwise in limiting Marega's influence will go a long way to deciding the outcome of this finely poised tie.
Where to watch
Fans can find their local UEFA Champions League broadcast partner(s) here.
Form guide
Porto
Last game: Porto 1-2 Benfica (02/03)
Form: LWWLDDWDWW
Roma
Last game: Lazio 3-0 Roma (02/03)
Form: LWWWWDLDWW
Sérgio Conceição, Porto coach
We have to win the game, but there is no rush. We have to be consistent defensively. Roma have the third-best attack in Serie A, so balance will be key. Our self-belief comes from the work we do every day, not from any individual player.
Having extra options is important, but it's not always decisive. What matters is the team. If we do ourselves justice, we have a great chance of reaching the quarter-finals.
Eusebio Di Francesco, Roma coach
We will have to be determined and defend the advantage we have – and look to hit them on the break when we can. We'll need to be very switched on defensively throughout.
Every player in the squad knows they need to be ready to play at any moment and no one knows the team we will pick. I want to decide, in the end, by looking into the players' eyes and seeing who is most ready for the battle.
