Porto vs Roma UEFA Champions League Odds & Preview

The Champions League Round of 16 tie between Porto and Roma hits its second leg today when the series shifts to Portugal. Roma comes in leading 2-1 in aggregate scoring thanks to their home win on February 12, thanks to a pair of goals from Nicolo Zaniolo, just seven minutes apart, but that away goal from Adrian Lopez means that Porto is right there in it. Both teams come in off tough losses in league play, as Porto took a home loss against Benfica, and Roma took a 3-0 beating from Lazio. So we have two teams that are not as likely to go all the way to the final here but nonetheless should put together a compelling finish to their Round of 16 later today. We have your Champions League betting preview for this exciting matchup.

Porto vs Roma UEFA Champions League Odds & Preview

💙 “MA-RE-GA!” 💪@marega91 is a happy man after firing in 5⃣ #UCL goals… Will he add to that tonight and send @FCPorto into the quarter-finals? pic.twitter.com/G6HzsWNRK6

— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) 6 de marzo de 2019

When: Wednesday, March 6, 2019, 3:00pm ET Where: Estadio Do Dragao, Porto, Portugal TV: Galavision Radio: None Live Stream: fuboTV Soccer Odds: Porto -105 / Roma +275 / Draw +265

Why should you bet on FC Porto?

Porto will have forward Moussa Marega back in the lineup; he missed the first leg due to a thigh strain. They will need to have a better collective response to Roma’s attack. The numbers are slightly on their side, as 13 of the 24 teams who won 2-1 at home in the opening leg of a Champions League knockout tie have failed to move on to the next round, as that road goal has often proven crucial in delivering a result. Porto has also beaten Roma in two straight two-legged ties, including the 2016-17 Champions League. Roma has lost seven straight Champions League knockout round games on the road, a streak that dates all the way back to March 2008. So even though Porto has a fairly awful streak going in Champions League knockout games, that lack of confidence that Roma has shown lately — and the difficulties they have had away from home, could give Porto the advantage playing at home. It would just take a 1-0 win at home for Porto to move on to the quarterfinals, thanks to their road goal.

Why should you put your money on AS Roma?

Roma comes in with some additional drama, as manager Eusebio di Franceso could find himself looking for another job if the side loses to Porto and ends up falling short of the Champions League quarterfinals. The team’s inconsistency showed up again when they took that drilling from Lazio in their derby on Saturday. Zaniolo’s brace made him the youngest Italian to score twice in a Champions League game, at 19 years, 225 days. Roma will be missing Javier Pastore and Cengiz Under from their lineup. Roma is facing a Porto team that has a six-match winless streak in Champions League knockout play, with a draw and five losses. In four of those games, Porto has failed to score a single goal. Porto has also not moved on from a two-legged tie in Champions League after losing the first leg since 1986, and the fact that Porto permitted nine shots on target in the first leg (the most they had permitted in their last 29 Champions League games) suggests that Roma knows how to find their way through the Porto defense.

Expert Pick and Final Score Prediction for Porto vs Roma

I see Porto taking advantage of Roma’s disarray and posting a 2-1 win over the visitors, sending the tie to penalty kicks. The difficulties that Roma had in their derby will be difficult to turn around after a short week that includes travel, and Porto should be able to deliver the result at home. Once the tie goes to penalty kicks, it will be anyone’s outcome, but this wager would be on the outcome of this leg, not the overall result of the Round of 16 tie.