Porto and AS Roma return to action in the UEFA Europa League when they lock horns in the first leg of their knockout-stage playoff clash.
Vying for a place in the Europa League’s last 16, Portuguese giants Porto and Serie A side Roma will face off in the first leg of their playoff on Thursday.
The Giallorossi travel to Estadio do Dragao, having lost all three previous ties between the two clubs. This time, the winners will face either Athletic Bilbao or Roma’s arch-rivals, Lazio.
Porto narrowly avoided an early exit, edging through to the playoffs as one of 16 teams placed between ninth and 24th in the Europa League’s final league-phase table. Their nervy 1-0 win over Maccabi Tel Aviv on the last matchday proved to be significant, as a draw would have seen them eliminated by compatriots Braga.
Match Preview
In Andre Villas-Boas‘ first season as club president, Porto have been underwhelming, but the Dragons have given themselves a chance at European success with a recent change in the dugout.
Last month, Martin Anselmi took charge of the team. The new coach, who arrived from Mexican side Cruz Azul, made an immediate impact, guiding Porto to a narrow 1-0 win over Maccabi Tel Aviv to secure their place in the knockouts. However, their form has remained inconsistent, following that result with a 2-2 draw away to Rio Ave and a 1-1 draw with Sporting CP at Estadio do Dragao last weekend.
After a tough start to the season, Roma have found stability under Claudio Ranieri and are unbeaten in eight of their last 10 matches across all competitions. However, tightening their defense remains a priority, as they have conceded in six of their last eight games.
Roma’s struggles on the road are a concern, with no wins in their last five Europa League away games, stretching back to last season. They were beaten 1-0 by AZ Alkmaar in their previous away fixture in the competition.
History, however, favors Porto. The Portuguese side has won all three previous ties against Roma, progressing in the 1981-82 Cup Winners’ Cup, the 2016-17 Champions League qualifiers, and the Champions League’s last 16 six years ago.
Roma Team News
Roma could include new signings Devyne Rensch and Victor Nelsson after the Serie A side bolstered their defensive options last month. However, fellow recruits Lucas Gourna-Douath and Anass Salah-Eddine have not been registered in the European squad.
Manu Kone will return after missing the weekend win against Venezia through suspension, while the rested Leandro Paredes and Alexis Saelemaekers could come back in. Saelemaekers will miss the second leg if he is booked tonight, as will veteran defender Mats Hummels.
Porto Team News
Martin Anselmi has adopted a back-three system since arriving at Porto, and he is likely to stick with it against Roma, who also tend to line up similarly. Goalkeeper Diogo Costa is set to start behind a 3-4-2-1 formation.
Ivan Marcano (knee), Marko Grujic and Martim Fernandes (both muscle) missed Porto’s 1-1 draw with Sporting last Friday and the trio are ruled out of their side’s first-leg match against Roma.
Brazilian defender Otavio, who has scored in two of his last three games, was suspended for the visit of the reigning Primeira Liga champions last week but is free to return to action on Thursday. He will likely replace Jose Pedro in Martin Anselmi’s starting XI.
Former Reading forward Danny Namaso – formerly Danny Loader – did his chances of earning an opportunity from the off no harm by coming off the bench to net Porto’s equaliser against Sporting.
Porto vs. Roma: Probable line-ups
Porto (3-5-2): Diogo Costa; Pedro, Perez, Djalo; Joao Mario, Moura, Varela, Eustaquio, Mora; Pepe, Omorodion.
Roma (3-5-2): Svilar; Mancini, Hummels, Ndicka; Saelemaekers, Koné, Paredes, Pellegrini, Angelino; Dybala, Dovbyk.
Where to Watch Porto vs. Roma
Kick-off date/time: Thursday, 13th February 2025
- UK: 8:00 PM
- US ET: 3:00 PM
- US PT: 12:00 PM
The game will be shown live in the UK on TNT Sports 2 and available to stream on Discovery+. In the USA, viewers can watch via Paramount+, while Sky will broadcast the match in Italy.
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