Porto v Leicester: line-ups, where to watch, form guide
Tuesday, December 6, 2016
Article summary
Unbeaten Leicester have the comfort of knowing they are already through, but a makeshift team could be pushed hard by a Porto side struggling for goals yet with everything to play for.
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Article body
- Leicester have won Group G; Porto are guaranteed second with victory
- Foxes have joint-best defence in group stage, conceding only once so far
- Porto have lost just one of last 11 UEFA Champions League home games, winning seven
- Porto needed 95th-minute goal at weekend to avoid fifth successive 0-0 draw
- English champions Leicester, 16th in the Premier League, rest several players
Possible line-ups
Porto: Casillas; Maxi Pereira, Felipe, Marcano, Layún; Corona, Danilo, Óliver Torres, Brahimi; Diogo Jota, André Silva.
Out: none
Doubtful: Otávio (abdominal muscle)
Misses next match if booked: André Silva, Filipe
Leicester: Zieler; Hernández, Morgan, Wasilewski, Chilwell; Gray, Drinkwater, Mendy, Albrighton; Musa, Okazaki.
Out: Schmeichel (hand), Slimani (rested), Huth (rested), Vardy (rested), Mahrez (rested), King (rested), Kapustka (ankle)
Doubtful: Mendy (ankle)
Misses next match if booked: Huth, Slimani
Where to watch
Fans can find their local UEFA Champions League broadcast partner(s) here
Nuno Espírito Santo, Porto coach
We're expecting a difficult UEFA Champions League game. We're up against the English title holders but the most important thing is that we depend only on ourselves in terms of achieving our goal. We want to take that final step on the road we started back with the play-off victory over Roma.
We expect a packed Estádio do Dragão to get fully behind us and support this young team, who will give their absolute all. Maximum determination, concentration and commitment will be key. We want to win and earn our place among the best 16 teams in Europe.
Claudio Ranieri, Leicester manager
If we had to win tomorrow, maybe all my players would be here. But I can choose. Anyway, I always say we have a very good team. There are some players who haven't played so far – they deserve the chance to show their potential.
Weekend results
Porto 1-0 Braga (Rui Pedro 90+5)
Porto looked set for a fifth goalless draw in their last six games until Rui Pedro's dramatic winner – the Dragons' first goal in 520 minutes – on his Liga debut.
Sunderland 2-1 Leicester (Huth og 64, Defoe 77; Okazaki 80)
The champions have now lost seven of their 14 Premier League matches this term, four more defeats than they suffered in the whole of their title-winning campaign.
Form guide (all competitions, most recent first)
Porto: WDDDDD
Leicester: LDWLLD
Reporter's view: Paul Bryan (@UEFAcomPaulB)
The scenes of ecstatic celebration that greeted Porto's 1-0 weekend victory over Braga should not be underestimated. Rui Pedro's last-second strike rescued Espírito Santo's side from the brink of a fifth consecutive scoreless draw and significantly changed the mood within Porto's squad ahead of Leicester City's visit. The Dragões – second in Group G – will now look to make their new-found confidence tell by gaining a place in the round of 16 alongside Ranieri's section winners.
Did you know?
Ranieri's Valencia side won the 2004 UEFA Super Cup against a Porto team containing Espírito Santo as reserve goalkeeper. Read more in our extensive match background.