The final first-leg ties of this season’s Champions League last-16 are scheduled for Wednesday and there are two mouthwatering clashes to enjoy.
Red-hot Arsenal head to Portugal to take on a Porto side with an excellent home record, while the Italian and Spanish champions face off in Naples, as Napoli take on Barcelona, with both sides keen to go far in Europe as their respective domestic campaigns have been disappointing thus far.
Both games pose plenty of intriguing questions and we have you covered with our best tip in each tie.
- Porto or draw double chance vs Arsenal
- Barcelona to beat Napoli
- Robert Lewandowski anytime scorer vs Napoli
Porto vs Arsenal
Arsenal have enjoyed an excellent few weeks, recording three victories to nil by an aggregate score of 16-0 in a five-game winning streak that also included a 3-1 success over title rivals Liverpool, meaning they have momentum going into their trip to Portugal.
Porto are unbeaten in their last 10 home games, winning nine in that run and recording a clean sheet in their last five matches at Estadio Do Dragao, and they will look to frustrate the Gunners.
The Dragons won their last two home group stage matches against Antwerp and Shakhtar Donetsk and were unlucky not to beat Barcelona when the Spanish champions visited in October, with the hosts winning the shot on target count 5-4 in that narrow 1-0 defeat.
Arsenal’s last two away matches have yielded six points and 11 goals without reply, but those victories came against relegation-threatened Burnley and a West Ham side who are yet to win this year, and their overall road record is not as convincing.
They required last-gasp goals to avoid draws at Brentford and Luton and have already lost at Lens, Fulham and West Ham (League Cup) this term which suggests that, up against a side with such an exceptional home record, they may struggle in Porto.
The Dragons held eventual finalists Inter Milan to a 0-0 draw at Estadio Do Dragao in this stage of the Champions League last term and could be set to hold another big club to at least a draw.
Napoli vs Barcelona
Walter Mazzarri’s return to Napoli did not go to plan and his inability to get a tune out of their attack saw him replaced by Francesco Calzona on the eve of this tie.
They have scored just five goals in their last 11 matches, drawing a blank in six of those games, and they could struggle to get the better of Barcelona over two legs, especially with exceptional shot-stopper Marc Andre Ter Stegen back in net for the visitors.
Barca are unbeaten in their last 12 La Liga away matches, beating the likes of Real Sociedad and Real Betis in that run, and clearly travel well suggesting they could take a lead back to Catalonia for the second-leg.
Napoli may be struggling for goals but one man who isn’t - and very rarely is - is Robert Lewandowski.
Barcelona’s main man has netted four times in his last three matches and his mind-boggling Champions League return of 92 goals from 112 appearances suggests that he should be backed to leave his mark in Naples and lead Barca to victory.
