Portuguese giants Porto will host German side Hoffenheim in their third Europa League group stage match at Estadio Do Dragao on Thursday. Porto currently sits 24th in the standings with just one point from two matches, while Hoffenheim is 11th with four points after their recent 2-0 victory over Dynamo Kiev.
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Porto had a dramatic last outing against Manchester United, where they fought back from a 2-0 deficit to take a 3-2 lead before conceding a last-minute equaliser. Manager Vitor Bruno expressed disappointment but highlighted that his side was merely unlucky, having previously lost 3-2 to Bodo/Glimt in their opening Europa League match.
Despite their struggles in the Europa League, Porto has had an impressive start in the Primeira Liga, winning seven of their first eight games. Their home record remains formidable, with 20 wins from their last 25 fixtures at Estadio Do Dragao, though they’ve faced challenges in recent Europa League matches there.
Hoffenheim, under manager Pellegrino Matarazzo, comes into this game with renewed confidence after a strong performance against Dynamo Kiev. However, they drew 1-1 against FC Midtjylland in their Europa League opener and currently sit 14th in the Bundesliga with only seven points after seven matches. Their away form has been concerning, with just three wins from their last 18 away games.
Team News
Porto will miss centre-back Ivan Marcano due to a long-term injury, along with defender Zaidu Sanusi. Fran Navarro is also sidelined, paving the way for Samuel Omorodion to lead the attack, supported by Wenderson Galeno and Pepe. T
he midfield may feature Stephen Eustaquio, Alan Varela, and Nico Gonzalez, with Nehuen Perez and Ze Pedro expected to start in defense.
Hoffenheim’s injury woes continue as they will be without Grischa Promel and Ozan Kabak, along with attacker Ihlas Bebou. Kevin Akpoguma, Anton Stach, and Stanley N’Soki are set to form a back three, while Umut Tohumcu and Tom Bischof could feature in midfield. Dennis Geiger and Florian Grillitsch are doubts, which may further affect their squad depth.
Porto possible starting lineup:
Costa; Mario, Pedro, Perez, Moura; Eustaquio, Varela, Gonzalez; Pepe, Omorodion, Galeno
Hoffenheim possible starting lineup:
Baumann; Akpoguma, Stach, N’Soki; Gendrey, Bischof, Tohumcu, Prass; Kramaric; Hlozek, Larsen
Despite recent struggles in Europa League matches at home, Porto’s overall form at Estadio Do Dragao makes them the favourites for this encounter. Given Hoffenheim’s injury challenges and their disappointing away record, a Porto victory seems likely.
