FC Porto vs Bayern Munich. UEFA Champions League Quarter Final.
Estadio do DragaoAttendance50,092.
Wednesday 15 April 2015 06:58, UK
Porto will be looking to maintain their unbeaten run in this season’s Champions League when tournament-favourites Bayern Munich visit on Wednesday.
The Portuguese champions are seeking a first semi-final appearance since their 2004 run to the final, when they won the Champions League under Jose Mourinho, against the five-times European champions from Bavaria.
Porto routed Swiss champions Basel 4-0 at home in the last 16, second-leg, having drawn 1-1 in Portugal and they will be looking for a repeat performance. Manager Julen Lopetegui has said his side will not adopt the role of the underdog against Munich.
"We are talking about one of the best Bayern teams in the history of the club," said Lopetegui.
"We have a great respect for Bayern, but we have the ambition to be protagonists. We have a huge challenge ahead of us.”
Bayern are missing a host of stars including wingers Franck Ribery and Arjen Robben, plus German midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger, but the Bundesliga giants could still name five World Cup winners at the Estadio do Dragao.
Philipp Lahm is expected to start in midfield in a game, but the reshuffle may have little impact on a side who stormed into the last eight with a 7-0 demolition of Shakhtar Donetsk.
Bayern Munich head into their Champions League quarter-final first leg against Porto in the midst of an injury crisis.
Alaba, Benatia, Martinez, Ribery, Robben and Schweinsteiger are all currently injured as boss Pep Guardiola will have to call on some of his fringe players to get past a dangerous Porto side who are yet to taste defeat in the competition this season.
Porto are sweating on the fitness of forwards Jackson Martinez and Cristian Tello ahead of the first leg. Both are struggling with hamstring injuries, while centre-back Ivan Marcano is suspended.
Bayern Munich are Sky Bet’s odds-on favourites at 3/4, with Porto considered 100/30 outsiders establish a first-leg lead and 13/5 to hold the favourites to a draw. Pep Guardiola’s men head the Champions League outright at 15/8, while their hosts are considered the biggest-priced outsiders left in competitions at 66/1. Robert Lewandowski is the 4/1 favourite in the first goalscorer betting closely followed by Thomas Muller (9/2), while Jackson Martinez is rated the visitors’ biggest threat at 8/1.
Watch FC Porto v FC Bayern live on Wednesday. Coverage starts 7:40pm, Sky Sports 5 HD.
