Porto vs Royal Antwerp Prediction 07.11.2023

• Competition: UEFA Champions League - Group H
• Date: Tuesday, 7th, November 2023
• Kickoff: 20:00 UTC / 21.00 CET
• Venue: Estadio do Dragao (Porto)

Porto is aiming to get one step closer to the Champions League Round of 16 as they welcome the group underdog Royal Antwerp at Estadio do Dragao on Matchday 4 this Tuesday.

Just as expected, Porto hold second place in their section, behind undisputed leaders Barcelona, and with three points more than third-placed Shakhtar, they have a good chance of finding themselves in the draw for the elimination phase of the most prestigious club competition in Europe, for the second year in a row. During the opening three rounds of the Champions League, Sergio Conceincao's side suffered their only defeat at the hands of the Catalan giants, narrowly 0-1, while they celebrated against the other two members of Group H, defeating Shakhtar 3-1 on the opening day in Hamburg and pulling off a phenomenal 4-1 turnaround against Antwerp, thanks to a hat-trick from Evanilson.

While their Tuesday rivals can pride themselves on being on the verge of securing their sixth entry into the knockout stage in the last seven UEFA Champions League campaigns, Royal Antwerp is making its first appearance in the group stage of the most prestigious continental club tournament. Based on their opening results, it appears that the reigning champions of Belgium won't have fond memories of their first outing on the big stage, as they delivered their poorest showing in Group H, firmly rooted at the bottom of the standings, still in pursuit of their first points. However, since this marks their debut UCL campaign, they shouldn't be blamed too much.

Porto vs Royal Antwerp Betting Tips: Over 2.5

Just a fortnight ago, these two sides treated us to a genuine football spectacle that culminated in a devastating 4-1 victory for Dragoes, and we don't expect anything less thrilling on Portuguese soil this time. Unusually, playing at Estadio do Dragao hasn't yielded much success for Porto this season, particularly in the defensive department, as they've conceded at least one goal in all but one of their opening seven home matches across all competitions. On the brighter side, the Portuguese giants have managed to compensate for their defensive shortcomings on the European stage thanks to their fiery attacking prowess, bagging three goals in Shakhtar's net and four against Antwerp, so we expect their attack to shine again in midweek. 

These expectations are entirely understandable as Porto is set to face the weakest defensive unit in this season's Champions League, Antwerp, who have been forced to retrieve the ball from their own net an alarming 12 times in the opening three group-stage matches. In addition, the Great Old's defensive vulnerabilities aren't restricted to European competition; they are also visible on the domestic front, as they have been unable to keep a clean sheet against any of their last seven opponents. The Belgian outfit certainly has the potential to shake the Portuguese ground, and we hope they can find their way to the opponent's net on Tuesday, but their leaky defense prevents them from contemplating any surprises. 

Alongside the expected victory for Porto, we anticipate a dynamic and efficient encounter with over 2.5 goals scored, a limit that Antwerp has breached in seven consecutive matches across all competitions.