Porto vs Chelsea: UEFA Champions League background, form guide, previous meetings

Porto and Chelsea have become familiar rivals in the UEFA Champions League over the past two decades and are both looking to end a lengthy wait for a semi-final appearance as they meet in the first leg of their quarter-final tie.

• The Portuguese side have not won a last-eight tie since claiming their second European Cup under future Chelsea manager José Mourinho 17 years ago and, though they are in this stage for the second time in three seasons, will need no reminding that their last quarter-final ended in a heavy defeat against English opposition to make it three eliminations out of three at this stage by Premier League sides.

• Chelsea boast a formidable record in UEFA Champions League quarter-finals, although this is their first appearance at this stage since 2014.

• This game is being played at the Estadio Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán in Seville, where the second leg will also take place – a stadium where Chelsea have already enjoyed a big win in this season's UEFA Champions League.

Previous meetings
• Chelsea have won five of the sides' eight previous meetings, all in the UEFA Champions League, although when the teams last met, in the 2015/16 group stage, each recorded a home victory.

• Goals from André André (39) and Maicon (51) either side of an equaliser from Willian (45+2) gave Porto the points in Portugal on Matchday 2, before a 2-0 home success at Stamford Bridge on Matchday 6. Iván Marcano's 12th-minute own goal and a Willian strike seven minutes after the break took Chelsea through in first place in Group G and left Porto in third.

• That was Chelsea's fourth win in their last five matches against Porto, who they faced in the 2009/10 group stage when Chelsea won 1-0 home and away, in each case thanks to a second-half Nicolas Anelka goal.

• Three seasons before, in the round of 16, Chelsea held on for a 1-1 draw in Portugal before winning 2-1 at home.
 
• In the group stage of 2004/05, Mourinho's first season with Chelsea after guiding Porto to their 2004 UEFA Champions League triumph, Chelsea won 3-1 at Stamford Bridge while Porto prevailed 2-1 at home.

Form guide
 Porto
• Porto's record in European Cup quarter-finals is W2 L6:
2018/19 Liverpool L 1-6 (0-2 a, 1-4 h)
2014/15 Bayern München L 4-7 (3-1 h, 1-6 a)
2008/09 Manchester United L 2-3 (2-2 a, 0-1 h)
2003/04 Lyon W 4-2 (2-0 h, 2-2 a)
1999/2000 Bayern München L 2-3 (1-1 h, 1-2 a)
1996/97 Manchester United L 0-4 (0-4 a, 0-0 h)
1990/91 Bayern München L 1-3 (1-1 a, 0-2 h)
1986/87 Brøndby W 2-1 (1-0 h, 1-1 a)

• Porto are seeking a first semi-final appearance since 2003/04 when they lifted the trophy under Mourinho. Their only two victories in seven previous quarter-final appearances came in the seasons when they were crowned European champions.

• Porto's six-game unbeaten sequence in this season's UEFA Champions League was ended by a 3-2 extra-time defeat at Juventus in the round of 16 second leg, although that was enough to take them through on away goals thanks to a 2-1 home win.

• That was the Portuguese side's first loss in the competition since a 3-1 Matchday 1 defeat at Manchester City. They won the next three matches – at home against Olympiacos (2-0) and Marseille (3-0) plus a 2-0 victory in France – before a goalless draw against City in Portugal ensured they would finish in second place in Group C. They made it five successive UEFA Champions League clean sheets with a 2-0 win at Olympiacos on Matchday 6; Juve's goal in the round of 16 first leg was the first Porto had conceded in Europe in 549 minutes.

• This is Porto's 24th UEFA Champions League campaign, fewer only than Real Madrid and Barcelona (both 25). The Portuguese side have now qualified for the knockout phase on each of their last four appearances in the group stage.

• Porto's 2019/20 UEFA Champions League campaign lasted a single tie, Krasnodar beating them on away goals in the third qualifying round (1-0 a, 2-3 h). They went on to finish first in a UEFA Europa League section including Rangers, Young Boys and Feyenoord, but were beaten by Bayer Leverkusen in the round of 32 (1-2 a, 1-3 h).

• Porto have lost five of their last 12 matches in the UEFA Champions League proper (W6 D1) but only three of their last ten home European matches (W5 D2).

• Sérgio Conceição's side won the club's eighth domestic double in 2019/20, claiming Porto's 29th league title and a 17th Portuguese Cup.

• The Matchday 5 draw at home to City ended Porto's run of three successive defeats against English opponents, although Porto have still lost four of their last six games with Premier League clubs, winning none.

• Their overall home record against English clubs is W8 D7 L5; all five defeats have come in their last nine matches, including the 4-1 loss to eventual champions Liverpool in the 2018/19 quarter-final second leg.

• This is Porto's first game in Spain since a 2-0 win at Athletic Club in the 2014/15 UEFA Champions League group stage, a game that made their record in the country W7 D2 L14.

• They have played three matches at the Estadio Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán, beating Sevilla 2-1 in the round of 32 first leg in their victorious 2010/11 UEFA Europa League campaign and losing 4-1 to the Spanish side in the quarter-final second leg in the same competition three years later. Most famously, Porto beat Celtic 3-2 after extra time in Seville in the 2003 UEFA Cup final.

• Most famously, Porto beat Celtic 3-2 after extra time in Seville in the 2003 UEFA Cup final.

• This is Porto's first game against an English club at a neutral venue.

• Porto's record in two-legged ties with English clubs is W3 L9. They have lost the last six, most recently against Liverpool at this stage two seasons ago, and have not beaten English opposition in a knockout tie since Mourinho's side eliminated Manchester United in the 2003/04 UEFA Champions League round of 16 (2-1 h, 1-1 a).

Chelsea
• Chelsea's record in European Cup quarter-finals is W7 L2:
2013/14 Paris Saint-Germain W 3-3 away goals (1-3 a, 2-0 h)
2011/12 Benfica W 3-1 (1-0 a, 2-1 h)
2010/11 Manchester United L 1-3 (0-1 h, 1-2 a)
2008/09 Liverpool W 7-5 (3-1 a, 4-4 h)
2007/08 Fenerbahçe W 3-2 (1-2 a, 2-0 h)
2006/07 Valencia W 3-2 (1-1 h, 2-1 a)
2004/05 Bayern München W 6-5 (4-2 h, 2-3 a)
2003/04 Arsenal W 3-2 (1-1 h, 2-1 a)
1999/00 Barcelona L4-6 (3-1 h, 1-5 a aet)

• This season, Chelsea made smooth progress through Group E, winning all three away games and dropping points only in their first and last fixtures, at home to Sevilla (0-0) and Krasnodar (1-1) respectively. Rennes were beaten 3-0 at Stamford Bridge before the English club picked up maximum points at Krasnodar (4-0), Rennes (2-1) and Sevilla (4-0); the latter result made sure of first place in the section, Olivier Giroud becoming the first Chelsea player to score four times in a European Cup match – and at 34 years 63 days the oldest hat-trick scorer in UEFA Champions League history.

• With Thomas Tuchel having replaced Frank Lampard as head coach, Chelsea then eased past Spanish Liga leaders Atlético de Madrid in the round of 16, winning 1-0 in Bucharest before a 2-0 home victory.

• Fourth in the Premier League in 2019/20, this is Chelsea's 17th venture into the UEFA Champions League and a third in four years. The exception came in 2018/19, when they won the UEFA Europa League under Maurizio Sarri.

• Last season Lampard's side recovered from a Matchday 1 defeat at home to Valencia (0-1) to progress as Group H runners-up with 11 points, finishing behind the Spanish side on head-to-head record, before losing to eventual champions Bayern München (0-3 h, 1-4 a) in the last 16.

• The loss in Munich in last season's round of 16 second leg is Chelsea's only defeat in 15 European away matches (W11 D3).

• The Matchday 5 win at Seville this season made Chelsea's record in Spain – all against local sides – W5 D8 L6; they have lost only one of their last 13 matches in the country (W4 D8).

• This season's six victories have made it nine wins in Chelsea's last 15 UEFA Champions League matches (D4 L2).

• European champions in 2012 having been runners-up four years earlier, Chelsea have now won their UEFA Champions League group 12 times, although they were runners-up in their section on each of their previous two participations before this season.

• Chelsea's record against Portuguese clubs is W10 D1 L2, their most recent fixtures those 2015/16 meetings with Porto. They had won eight in a row before that 2-1 defeat at Porto in September 2015, a result that made their record in Portugal W3 D1 L2.

• The Blues beat Benfica in the 2013 UEFA Europa League final when Branislav Ivanović's header in the last minute of added time earned a 2-1 win in Amsterdam. Their 2006/07 win against Porto aside, Chelsea's only other two-legged knockout tie against Portuguese opposition also featured Benfica, who they beat in the quarter-finals of their victorious 2011/12 UEFA Champions League campaign (1-0 a, 2-1 h).

• That 2013 final against Benfica is the English club's only previous game against Portuguese opposition on neutral territory.

Links and trivia
• Malang Sarr is on loan at Porto from Chelsea after being signed by the English club from Nice in August 2020. He moved to Portugal on 6 October.

• Thiago Silva had a brief stint at Porto in 2004/05, making 14 appearances for the club's B team.

• Have played in England:
Chancel Mbemba (Newcastle 2015–18)
Marko Grujić (Liverpool 2016–17, Cardiff loan 2018)
Felipe Anderson (West Ham 2018–20)
Toni Martínez (West Ham 2016–19, Oxford loan 2017)

• Have played together:
Pepe & Marcos Alonso (Real Madrid 2009/10)
Pepe & Mateo Kovačić (Real Madrid 2015–17)
Felipe Anderson & Emerson Palmieri (Santos 2011–13)
Jesús Corona & Hakim Ziyech (Twente 2014–16)

• Felipe Anderson and Emerson Palmieri came through the ranks of Brazilian side Santos, playing together at Under-17 and U19 level before representing the senior side.

• Pepe and Marcos Alonso were at Real Madrid between 2007 and 2010, with the Spaniard in the Under-19 and B teams and the Portuguese in the senior side, where they crossed paths briefly in 2009/10.

• International team-mates:
Felipe Anderson & Thiago Silva (Brazil)
Mamadou Loum & Edouard Mendy (Senegal)

• Pepe's Portugal side beat Olivier Giroud's France 1-0 after extra time at the Stade de France in the final of UEFA EURO 2016.

• Kai Havertz scored his first senior international goal past Agustín Marchesín in Germany's 2-2 draw with Argentina in a 2019 friendly.

• Havertz scored past Marchesín again in both legs of Bayer Leverkusen's win against Porto in the 2019/20 UEFA Europa League round of 16 (2-1 h, 3-1 a).

• Emerson Palmeiri was sent off in Roma's 3-0 home loss to Porto in the 2016/17 UEFA Champions League play-off second leg (1-4 agg). Jesús Corona scored Porto's final goal with Otávio providing an assist.

• Fábio Vieira scored in Porto's 3-1 defeat of Chelsea in the 2018/19 UEFA Youth League final. Romário Baró provided an assist with Diogo Leite playing 90 minutes.

Latest news
Porto  
• Porto have won four of their last seven matches in all competitions (D1 L2), and have only six wins in their last 13 games (D5 L2). They were 2-1 victors at home to Santa Clara on Saturday, the winning goal from Toni Martínez coming five minutes into added time.

• A 0-0 draw at home to Sporting CP on 27 February ended Porto's run of scoring in 55 successive home league matches.

• Sérgio Conceição's side are unbeaten in 19 league games (W14 D5).

• The Dragons bowed out of the Portuguese Cup on 3 March, going down 3-2 at home to Braga in the semi-final second leg to confim a 4-3 aggregate elimination.

• Sérgio Oliveira, who got Porto's first goal from the penalty spot on Saturday, has scored 19 goals in all competitions this season. He has four more than Porto's next highest scorer this season, Mehdi Taremi, who has not found the net in eight games.

• The round of 16 first leg against Juventus was Porto's 115th European Cup win, surpassing Benfica's Portuguese record.

• It was also Sérgio Conceição's 35th European game as Porto coach, overtaking Jesualdo Ferreira's previous club best.

• Sérgio Conceição and his son Francisco, a late substitute in that home game against Juve, emulated Johan and Jordi Cruyff at Barcelona in 1994 by featuring in the same European Cup match – the only previous occasion that had happened.

• Pepe sustained a muscular injury in his right leg in a 2-1 win at Portimonense on 20 March and sat out Portugal's 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifiers last month but played 90 minutes at the weekend.

• Diogo Costa, Diogo Leite, João Mário, Fábio Vieira and Francisco Conceição helped Portugal to reach the 2021 UEFA Under-21 European Championship knockout stage.

• Francisco Conceição made his Under-21 debut in the Matchday 1 win against Croatia on 25 March – in which Fábio Vieira got the only goal – and scored the last goal in a 3-0 victory against Switzerland on 31 March that sealed Portugal's place in the quarter-finals as Group D winners.

• Nanú and Zaidu helped Guinea-Bissau and Nigeria respectively to reach the 2022 CAF Africa Cup of Nations over the international break.

• On 22 March midfielder Otávio extended his contract until June 2025.

• Porto announced their first signing for next season in February: 24-year-old Brazilian winger Pepê, who will join in the summer from Grêmio.

Chelsea  
• Mateo Kovačić's next appearance in the UEFA Champions League, group stage to final, will be his 50th.

• The Blues' 15-match unbeaten run in all competitions (W11 D4) was emphatically ended on Saturday by a 5-2 defeat at home to West Bromwich Albion on Saturday, their first loss under Thomas Tuchel.

• Chelsea had kept seven successive clean sheets before the weekend; they had conceded only two goals in their previous 14 games in all competitions, keeping 12 clean sheets. That run of seven straight clean sheets equalled the club record set in 1905/06 and matched in 2003/04 and 2005/06 (twice).

• Tuchel's record since succeeding Frank Lampard as head coach on 26 January is now W10 D4 L1. That 14-match unbeaten start surpassed Luiz Felipe Scolari's previous club best of 12.

• Tuchel's Paris and Chelsea teams had conceded only two goals in 17 games combined before the Blues shipped five at the weekend. Chelsea had not conceded in 735 minutes at Stamford Bridge in all competitions before West Brom's first goal on Saturday, which was the first time they had let in five goals at home in the league since a 5-3 loss to Arsenal in October 2011.

• The Matchday 6 draw at home to Krasnodar extended Chelsea's unbeaten run to 17 games in all competitions (W10 D7); they lost five of their next nine fixtures (W3 D1) before the 15-match run without defeat that was ended at the weekend.

• Jorginho's penalty in a 2-0 home win against Everton on 8 March was his sixth goal in this season's Premier League, all from the spot; only Liverpool's James Milner, with seven in 2016/17, has scored more goals exclusively from penalties in a Premier League campaign.

• On 15 February Timo Werner scored his first Premier League goal since 7 November in a 2-0 defeat of Newcastle at Stamford Bridge – his first goal in exactly 1,000 minutes of league football.

• Edouard Mendy has kept 21 clean sheets in his 33 Chelsea appearances in all competitions including 11 in his last 14 appearances. The five goals he conceded at the weekend was one more than in his previous 13 club outings combined.

• Chelsea were 2-0 winners at home to Sheffield United in the FA Cup quarter-finals on 21 March; they will play Manchester City in the last four on 17 April.

• Tammy Abraham has been out since 2 March with an ankle problem. N'Golo Kanté returned early from international duty with France due to a hamstring injury suffered in a 1-1 draw at home to Ukraine on 24 March; he also missed the weekend loss.

• Thiago Silva started at the weekend, his first appearance since limping off in the first half of the 1-0 Premier League win at Tottenham on 4 February with a muscle injury. It proved a brief return, as he was sent off for two yellow cards after 29 minutes with Chelsea leading 1-0.

• Jorginho played 72 minutes on Saturday after recovering from from a knee problem that had kept him out since a 0-0 draw at Leeds on 13 March, while Mendy missed Senegal's recent internationals to undergo a dental procedure.

• Callum Hudson-Odoi missed the final two matches of England's UEFA European Under-21 Championship campaign, returning to Chelsea for treatment on a shoulder injury suffered in training. He was an unused substitute on Saturday.

• Mason Mount scored England's second goal in a 2-0 FIFA World Cup qualifying win in Albania on 28 March. The same day Christian Pulišić captained the United States in a friendly against Northern Ireland, scoring the decisive goal from the penalty spot in a 2-1 victory, while Kai Havertz set up the only goal as Germany won in Romania, also in qualifying for the 2022 World Cup.

• Havertz had scored himself in Germany's 3-0 home victory against Iceland on 25 March.