FC Porto are very much on for a tremendous end to their season, with the team still very much in contention for three titles. While they stay in the lead in their league, Francesco Farioli’s side are in the semi-final of the Taca de Portugal as well as the quarter-final of the Europa League.
They did lose the first leg of their Taca de Portugal semi-final against Sporting CP earlier in March, but have since put together a run of four wins and two draws. Moreover, Farioli’s side have also shown formidable form on home soil, losing just once this season at the Estadio do Dragao, while winning each of their five Europa League games at this venue.
In fact, the only time Porto suffered a defeat in the Europa League was against their next opponents, Nottingham Forest, away from home. Farioli’s men certainly have the momentum, although there is also big pressure to deliver results this season. That also includes progressing into the semi-finals of the Europa League, as a big test against Nottingham Forest awaits at the Estadio do Dragao.
Vitor Pereira is also under tremendous pressure heading into this Europa League clash, as he will have his mind on this game against Porto as well as the one at the weekend against Aston Villa. Both tournaments are key for the club’s progression in a rather contrasting manner.
Winning the Europa League will allow them a spot in next season’s Champions League, while they could play the competition as a Championship side, given they are still part of the relegation dogfight. As for their prospects of going down, Pereira’s side secured a much-needed win over Tottenham before the international break, and their absence from the FA Cup allowed an extended period of rest and recuperation for their players.
As for the upcoming quarter-finals against Porto, Forest secured a 2-0 win in the group stages against the Portuguese giants, while they have since defeated Fenerbahce and Midtjylland in the knockout rounds. Against the latter, they had to go through the ordeal of a penalty shootout to secure passage into the quarter-finals, and Pereira will hope for a big momentum shift ahead of this trip to Portugal.
Francesco Farioli has to contend with a few key absentees, including attackers Samu Omorodion and Luuk de Jong, with the former likely to miss the remainder of the campaign with a serious knee injury. Rodrigo Mora and Nahuel Perez are significant doubts for this clash and widely expected to miss out altogether.
Hence, the FC Porto manager has to make a decision on his starting striker, and Terem Moffi could be leading the line for FC Porto against Nottingham Forest on Thursday. Similarly, the wide areas might see William Gomes and Borja Sainz as the ones expected to feature.
Farioli will have his Polish duo Jan Bednarek and Jakub Kiwior at the heart of the defence, with Alberto Costa and Zaidu Sanusi reprising the full-back roles. In midfield, Pablo Rosario will feature at the base, with Victor Froholdt and Seko Fofana playing on either side.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Diogo Costa; Alberto Costa, Bednarek, Kiwior, Sanusi; Froholdt, Rosario, Fofana; Gomes, Moffi, Sainz
Vitor Pereira has a rather long list of injured players to contend with, as the three-week break between now and their most recent game has not brought about a respite in that regard. Omari Hutchinson, Jair Cunha, Willy Boly, Nicolo Savona, John Victor, and Chris Wood are all out with respective injury issues. Ola Aina is also a significant doubt for this one, while key midfielder Elliot Anderson is absent through suspension.
Replacing the England international will be a strategic task for Pereira, with Nicolas Dominguez the most likely choice to play alongside Ibrahim Sangare. In the full-back areas, Neco Williams could replace Aina if the latter is deemed unfit to start, and in that case, Luca Netz will start as the left-back.
In the attacking third, joint top scorer in the Europa League, Igor Jesus, will lead the line, with Callum Hudson-Odoi and Dan Ndoye likely to begin the game on the wings, and Morgan Gibbs-White in the attacking midfield role.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Sels; Williams, Milenkovic, Murillo, Netz; Domínguez, Sangare; Ndoye, Gibbs-White, Hudson-Odoi; Jesus
The Nottingham Forest striker is one of the in-form players in the UEFA Europa League this season, and he will once again be key for Forest in this crucial encounter. However, the attacker must bring his A-game to the fore to set the tone in Porto.
Taking a lead or some form of advantage back to England will be key for Nottingham Forest at this moment, as a big enough lead will be important to help them keep focused on the task in the Premier League. Players like Igor Jesus will want to focus on finding the scoresheet, and he will want to stay on top against Porto.
Nottingham Forest will come into this clash as the underdogs, despite boasting a host of quality stars and a rather long injury list. Vitor Pereira has his players well-tuned in a short span, and they have been better in the Europa League, but the Porto trip offers a different proposition altogether.
Meanwhile, FC Porto are the favourites to win this clash, and Francesco Farioli’s men will rely on their ever-so-strong home form to get over the line. Their defence has also been rock solid this season, and Forest could find things difficult going against the Portuguese league leaders, with the hosts likely to take a slender lead into the second leg.
