Basel vs. Porto: Team News, Predicted Line-Ups, Live Stream, TV Info
It might not have the glamour of the fixtures in Paris, Manchester or Turin, but this meeting of Basel and Porto in the last 16 of the Champions League opens up an opportunity for a couple of Europe’s unheralded sides to impress.
In truth, both would be considered among the favourites for the Europa League should the pair find themselves playing in Europe’s secondary competition this week, yet here they are still at the top table—the beneficiaries of a couple of kind group draws and no little quality along the way.
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Paulo Sousa’s Basel made the most of being stationed in a Group B which featured a Liverpool side which lost their way from September to November and a Real Madrid machine which simply steamrollered everyone.
Clinging on for a 1-1 draw against the 10-man Reds at Anfield proved to be enough for qualification from the group with just seven points, and Sousa’s side will have been pleased to be paired with Porto once they emerged from that night in front of an exasperated Kop end.
That said, the Portuguese giants are pretty used to getting this far, and did so in no little style by topping Group H from Shakhtar Donetsk by five points, scoring 16 goals along the way.
A veritable conveyor belt of talent and often the last stopping-off point before a move to one of Europe’s elite, Porto possess plenty of attacking firepower, and so boss Julen Lopetegui—still in his first season since accepting the challenge to translate success at Spanish youth levels to the top tier of the club game—will fancy his chances of an away goal in Switzerland.
If you shun some of the big names elsewhere this week, this should be a good watch.
Date: Wednesday, 18 February 2015
Time: 7:45 p.m. GMT/2:45 p.m. EST
Venue: St. Jakob-Park, Basel
TV Info: Sky Sports 1 HD (UK) / Fox Soccer Plus (USA)
Live Stream: Fox 2 Go (USA)
Form (Competitive matches):
Basel: WWDWD
Porto: LWWWW
Predicted Line-Ups:
Basel: Tomas Vaclik; Philipp Degen, Behrang Safari, Marek Suchy, Taulant Xhaka; Matias Delgado, Davide Calla, Shkelzen Gashi, Fabian Frei, Mohamed El Nenny; Marco Streller.
Porto: Fabiano; Ivan Marcano, Danilo, Alex Sandro, Maicon; Ricardo Quaresma, Yacine Brahimi, Hector Herrera, Casemiro, Oliver Torres; Jackson Martinez.
Players To Watch:
Basel—Marco Streller
Although not quite as famous a resident as Roger Federer, 33-year-old forward Marco Streller has become part of the furniture at Basel, with age showing no sign of declining the former Swiss international’s abilities.
He led the line in three of FCB’s Champions League group games, scoring the winner at home to Liverpool which proved to be so crucial come the final reckoning. If the hosts can get the ball into his 6'5" frame and get players around him then they are going to have more chance of taking a positive result to Portugal.
Porto—Yacine Brahimi
The scorer of a hat-trick in Porto’s 6-0 win over BATE Borisov on Matchday 1, Algeria’s Yacine Brahimi has been cultivating a reputation as one of the liveliest attacking midfielders in the competition ever since his summer move from Granada.
The Algerian scored his first for his country at the World Cup last summer, and he has really developed an eye for goal under the tutorship of Lopetegui, striking 10 times already this season after only hitting the net three times during two years in La Liga.
His runs forward in support of forward Jackson Martinez will be crucial for the visitors, and perhaps vital if they want to get on the scoresheet.
Key Battles:
Jackson Martinez vs. The Basel Defence
The absence of the suspended Fabian Schar is a cruel blow for the hosts, and one that forward Jackson Martinez will be able to take advantage of.
Basel looked solid against a Liverpool side which fielded Mario Balotelli in attack in Switzerland and Rickie Lambert at Anfield, with neither having the mobility or clever movement needed to trouble the Swiss side—qualities which the highly-rated Martinez has in abundance.
Fabian Frei vs. Casemiro
In a largely attacking Porto midfield, it will be left to the on-loan Real Madrid midfielder Casemiro to help protect the defence, which the mobile Fabian Frei will be a danger to.
Frei scored the goal in front of the Kop which effectively took Basel through at Liverpool’s expense, but that remains his only strike of the season so far. His game is based much more on clever touches around the edge of the box, something that Casemiro will be out to ensure he doesn’t enjoy a lot of.
Best Odds via Oddsshark (Decimal):
Basel: 3.36
Draw: 3.25
Porto: 2.41
