Porto seek home cure for hangover

Humbled by Arsenal FC on their last UEFA Champions League outing, FC Porto will look to draw on home comforts when they take on FC Dynamo Kyiv on Matchday 3.

• The Portuguese champions have lost just one of their last 21 UEFA Champions League ties at the Estádio do Dragão and they will be confident of maintaining that strong record against opponents beaten in seven of their last nine away fixtures in the competition.

• The fact Dynamo have lost on each of their four previous trips to Portugal does not augur well either for the visitors yet they can draw confidence from an unbeaten start in Group G, having followed up their 1-1 home draw with Arsenal with a goalless draw at Fenerbahçe SK on 30 September.

• Dynamo came close to defeating Arsenal on Matchday 1, an 88th-minute equaliser from William Gallas denying them three points after Ismaël Bangoura had put the home side in front with a 64th-minute spot-kick.

• The fact they are unbeaten on their travels in Europe this term is a source of encouragement for Yuri Semin's charges, who won at Drogheda United FC (2-1) and, more notably, FC Spartak Moskva (4-1) in the qualifying rounds prior to becoming the first side to escape defeat at Fenerbahçe in nine European matches.

• Another positive result on the road in Portugal would give a serious boost to Dynamo's hopes of reaching the last 16 for the first time since 1999/00.

• Porto sit one place above Dynamo in second spot in Group G, courtesy of the three points they took from their opening home fixture against Fenerbahçe. Lisandro (10), Lucho (13) and Lino (90+2) got the goals in a 3-1 win, but their morale has since taken a dent with the 4-0 loss at Arsenal last time out.

• Dynamo's visit will stir happy memories among older Porto supporters who will recall their team's 4-2 aggregate victory against the Ukrainian outfit in the 1986/87 European Champion Clubs' Cup semi-final.

• Porto won the first leg at the Estádio das Antas, their former home, on 8 April 1987. Paulo Futre (49) and António André (57) struck for the home team but Pavel Yakovenko (73) pulled a goal back to give Dynamo hope.

• By the tenth minute of the return in Kiev on 22 April, Porto had their final place secured, having raced into a 2-0 lead through goals from Celso (3) and Luís Eduardo (10). Although Olexiy Mykhaylychenko, now Ukraine national coach, pulled a goal back 60 seconds later, the damage was done and Porto advanced, proceeding to beat FC Bayern München in the final to claim their first European Cup.

• Porto's only other previous meeting with Ukrainian opposition came in the 1983/84 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup quarter-finals where they defeated FC Shakhtar Donetsk 4-3 on aggregate after a 3-2 home victory and 1-1 away draw. Porto reached the final of that competition too, but finished runners-up after losing to Juventus.

• Dynamo succumbed to defeats both at home (1-2) and away (0-3) against Porto's Portuguese Liga rivals Sporting Clube de Portugal in last season's group stage.

• Overall, they have played eight competitive games against Portuguese opposition, winning two and losing six.

• Dynamo's assistant coach, Sergei Ovchinnikov, knows Portuguese football well having played as a goalkeeper for both SL Benfica (1997 to 1999) and Porto (2000 to 2002).

• Fenerbahçe will face section leaders Arsenal in Istanbul in the other Group G fixture.