Brugge – Porto

Portugal’s champion will be stronger than the sensational home team

After the Champions League draw, Group B of the tournament seemed to be one of the most evenly matched. In fact, the quartet was one of the most unpredictable. After four rounds of play, Brugge are top of the table with 10 points. Their upcoming opponents are second, four points behind the Belgians and two points ahead of Atletico. Their first encounter in mid-September brought a sensational 4-0 win for the group leaders. The Portuguese then clearly underestimated their opponents and started conceding as early as the 15th minute. In the upcoming game, despite the systematic success of Brugge, Porto are clearly favourites with a slight edge in the odds. The Belgian champions' sensational results in the Champions League have cost the team dearly in the league. On Saturday, they played against Union Saint-Gillois, led 2-0 up after 14 minutes on the power play, but narrowly missed out on the win. That defeat was by no means the only one in Brugge's tenure on the domestic scene. The champion is now in third place, eight points behind relegated Genk. All Brugge need to do in this coming game is pick up one point to secure the final top spot in the group. Last weekend, Porto lost at home to Benfica in the central match of the 10th round of the Portuguese championship. This defeat was the first for Sergio Conceição's side since the aforementioned home defeat to Brugge. Prior to the defeat to Benfica, Porto had won five in a row by a combined score of 17-1. Five of the goals in the two games came against Bayer, four against a fairly strong Braga side in the meeting at the Dragao. Overall, Porto are better-staffed than their upcoming opponents, and have also learned from the bitter experience of the first leg. In 2022, the Portuguese champion has lost only three away matches out of more than two dozen. All the visitors' best players except the injured Pepe are ready to take part in the encounter. Bruges have a more serious hole in their ranks - six players. The home side do not have any of their leaders on the sidelines, but the coaches' choice will certainly not benefit from this situation. It's a good bet that Porto will be closer to victory.