Porto eyeing clean sweep as Beşiktaş visit

Following a 3-1 win in Istanbul last time out, another victory against Beşiktaş JK would earn FC Porto their place in the round of 32, and might also secure top spot in UEFA Europa League Group L.

• Winning would mean progress to the next phase, and would ensure top billing in the section provided SK Rapid Wien do not beat PFC CSKA Sofia.

Previous meetings
• The teams' two previous meetings prior to Matchday 3 came in the 2007/08 UEFA Champions League group stage, with Jesualdo Ferreira's Porto beating Ertuğrul Sağlam's Black Eagles 1-0 in Istanbul and 2-0 in Portugal. Ricardo Quaresma – a Beşiktaş player since the summer – was on target for Porto in both games.

• The lineups for their meeting in Porto on 11 December 2007 were:
Porto: Helton*, Bruno Alves, Pedro Emanuel, Assunção, Quaresma*, Lucho (Bolatti, 81), Lisandro, Bosingwa, Fucile* (Čech, 75), Raul Meireles, Sektioui (Postiga, 74).
Beşiktaş: Rüştü Reçber*, Buruk Yilmaz (İbrahim Akın, 45), Baki Mercimek, Delgado, Bobô, Rodrigo Tello (Higuaín, 84), Cissé, İbrahim Üzülmez*, Serdar Özkan, Ali Tandoğan, İbrahim Toraman*.

*eligible to play in this game

• Porto have now faced Turkish sides on seven occasions in total, with their record reading W6 D1 L0 (W3 D0 L0 at home). All of those home wins have been by margins of at least two goals; Fenerbahçe SK went down 3-1 in the 2008/09 UEFA Champions League while Denizlispor were beaten 6-1 in the 2003/04 UEFA Cup.

• As well as their three games against Porto, Beşiktaş won 3-1 at Vitória SC in the 2005/06 UEFA Cup group stage, with that victory making their overall record against Portuguese teams W1 D0 L3 (W1 D0 L1 in Portugal).

Match background
• Porto have won all five of their European games this season, scoring 14 goals and conceding three. They have won their last three home fixtures in Europe since losing 1-0 to Chelsea FC in last season's UEFA Champions League group stage.

• Beşiktaş have not lost in six continental trips since going down 2-1 at PFC CSKA Moskva in last season's UEFA Champions League group stage, with that run including a 1-0 win at Manchester United FC. They have scored 12 goals and conceded two in that time.

Team facts
• Porto have won 30 corners in the first three matchdays, more than any other side in the group stage.

• Falcao has scored in each of Porto's group stage games so far.

• All four of Beşiktaş's group stage goals this season have come after half-time.

• Porto coach André Villas-Boas started his career as a teenager in the club's scouting department, and was on José Mourinho's staff as one of his assistants by the time the Dragons won the 2003/04 UEFA Champions League. He followed the 'Special One' to Chelsea and then FC Internazionale Milano, before going it alone as coach of A. Académica de Coimbra last season. Porto hired him in June.

• Beşiktaş coach Bernd Schuster also took up his role in June. He started his career at 1. FC Köln but spent his finest years as a midfielder with FC Barcelona, Real Madrid CF and Club Atlético de Madrid. He retired in 1997 with winners' medals from three Liga titles, six Spanish Cups, the 1981/82 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup and the 1980 UEFA
European Championship.

• He returned to Real Madrid as coach in 2007, leading them to the title but resigning later the same year.

• Schuster played against Porto for Barcelona in a 1985/86 European Champion Clubs' Cup second-round tie. He scored in his side's 2-0 home victory, with the Spanish team progressing on away goals despite a 3-1 loss in Portugal. They went on to reach the final, where they lost to FC Steaua Bucureşti on penalties.