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Porto it is then…

By 2009/12/18 11 Comments

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championsleague1
by CARL ELDRIDGE So, Porto it is. We must overcome the Portuguese outfit in the knockout stage of the Champions League if we are to stand any chance of making Madrid in May.

This will be the third time we have come up against Porto in the Champions League if my memory serves me correctly. Indeed, we met Porto in last season’s Champions League group stage and beat them 4-0 at home and, when qualification was already assured, lost 2-0 in Portugal.

Ultimately, the draw was relatively kind to us but we can be sure AW will not be taking Porto lightly. As of yet we have no reaction from AW to the draw but Gunners secretary David Miles believes the boss will be satisfied with the draw. He said: “I think he will be relatively pleased.

We have played Porto three times in four seasons so they are a team we know well.” So what do we know about Porto this season? Well, they were runners up to Chelsea in group D of this season’s group stage and suffered just two defeats in the group, both of which were against Kings Road Kremlinites.

Domestically, Porto are now only one point behind both Sporting Braga and Benfica at the top of their table as the top two stumbled last weekend and drew their respective matches. Porto had their chance to reduce their three point deficit to the top two the next day and did so in style with a 2-0 victory over Vitória de Setúbal.

Goals from Farias and Silvestre Varela being the difference between the two teams. In a change to previous Champions League competitions, the matches will be staggered over four weeks in February and March.

The side have their usual mix of Portuguese internationals and Latin American imports — with Raul Meireles said to be their main danger man — and they are certainly considered as durable but it is clear they are not the side they were under Jose Mourinho. 

1st leg
FC Porto v Arsenal
Wednesday 17th February 2010
Kick Off 19.45 hrs (UK time)
At Estadio do Dragao, Porto

2nd leg
Arsenal v FC Porto
Tuesday 9th March 2010
Kick Off 19.45 hrs (UK time)
At Emirates Stadium, London

Who knows, we may even have some of our walking wounded available by then!
{jcomments on}

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Eldo71

Arsenal fan for 40 years. Schoolboys, North Bank, Clock End then East Upper. Then Emirates. AFC dream team: Wilson, Dixon, Sansom, Adams, Pates, Brady, Williams, Pires, Bergkamp, Henry, Wright. Subs: Seaman, Eldridge, Wilshere, RVP, Ball. Manager: Arsene Chapman.

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  • Hamy

    Hopefully we will win. Just not with the mentality that Fabregas is the middle piece of the puzzle and if you take it out then the whole club falls…Now lets just focus on Hull…because if i know hull…those sons of bitches will play rough and we dont want to drop anymore points damnit!!!

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  • james

    With the team we have now Porto will beat us over two legs.

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  • TJ14

    shut up you mug. Dont bother commenting anymore. You are an idiot.

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  • james

    as that all u can ever say on here TJ14? “Mug mug mug u are not a true supporter” just because people have there own opinions. Tj14 I assume u have Gran Children as u are quite an old man is this what u teach them? grow up Grandad

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  • Jim

    Couldnt Arsenal use some of your grillings in the dressing room, james and TJ14? :-)

    I think the tie will be won at the Emirates with a little home comfort. Getting a score draw in the first leg would be a good result.

    Arsenal havn’t faced great opposition in the compotition yet. Porto have played Chelsea but you get the impression they were expecting defeat and 2nd spot.

    Hopefully we don’t treat Porto in the same manner as Olympiakos, AZ and Leige, the worst group stage we’ve wver had.

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  • nikkogunners

    Bring in Pazzini(Sampdoria -20M) and Suazo (Mexican League 12M. Suazo scored 38 in 44 appearances. This farsome two with Fab and Asharvin should be test driven on 17th.

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  • G Martins

    As a Porto fan, I must say I believe in qualification for our team, although I must admit the chances are a bit higher for Arsenal ( 60/40, perhaps )

    Above all, I hope Porto will erase the terrible performance last season at emirates (worst I´ve ever seen in the last 20 years) from gunners memmories. Lost 4-0, and it could have been 10-0.

    Portuguese championship is not competitive enough for us, and that goes against us, since we usually have trouble adapting to the higher rythm required in matches against top teams like Arsenal.

    Anyway, let’s all hope for a great performance from both teams and 2 great matches.

    Best wishes for arsenal in the premiership, from Portugal

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  • Hamy

    Nikkogunners- just because the players u talk about are awesome in their league doesnt mean they will be awesome in our league (Anyone remember that guy from AC Milan who was a legend and when he came to chelsea he became crap?! ….Shevchenko..remember?!)

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  • 1 loose cannon

    Lets hope we have most players available by february, Clichy, Bendtner, Rosicky should all be available and we should go through.

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  • Mexican Gunner

    Exactly.

    Or what about that player that scored tons of goals in Croatia and when he arrived to some London club he just have one good performance for 7 bad ones.

    BTW “nikkogunners” Suazo is fat for the Premier League. And here in Mexico the press say that Atletico and West Ham are fighting for him.

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  • Durham Gooner

    Yeah but you don’t back it up with reasoned argument James. Anyone can comment but where’s the constructive follow up?

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