History makes Porto wary for Juventus test

FC Porto have not beaten Juventus in three attempts as they prepare to host the Italian giants in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League round of 16 tie.

Previous meetings
• Juventus beat Porto 2-1 in the 1984 European Cup Winners' Cup final in Basel, and recorded an away draw (0-0) and a home win (3-1) when the teams met in the 2001/02 first group stage.

• The line-ups in Portugal on 10 October 2001 were:
Porto: Ovchinnikov, Carvalho, Andrade, Ibarra, Silva, Paredes (Söderström 71), Costinha, Deco, Capucho (Alenichev 77), Clayton, Pena (Postiga 66).
Juve: Buffon, Thuram, Montero, Tudor, Pessotto (Zenoni 65), Zambrotta, Birindelli (Paramatti 12), Tacchinardi, Davids, Del Piero, Salas (O'Neill 84).

• Marcello Lippi's Juve won the return fixture after Clayton had struck an early goal for Octávio Machado's visitors. Alessandro Del Piero and Paolo Montero turned the game in the home team's favour, David Trezeguet sealing victory late on.

• Zbigniew Boniek won the 1984 final for Giovanni Trapattoni's Juventus with a strike just before half-time. Beniamino Vignola's early effort for Juve had been cancelled out as Pedroto's side drew level through António Sousa. 

• The line-ups at St. Jakob-Park on 16 May 1984 were:
Juve: Tacconi, Scirea, Gentile, Cabrini, Brio, Vignola (Caricola 89), Tardelli, Platini, Bonini, Rossi, Boniek.
Porto: Beto, Pereira, Pinto, Eurico, Luís (Costa 82), Vermelhinho, Pacheco, Magalhães (Walsh 64), Frasco, Sousa, Gomes.

Match background

Porto
• The two-time European champions are in the knockout rounds for the second time in three seasons. Two years ago at this stage they beat FC Basel 1893 5-1 on aggregate (1-1 a, 4-0 h) but went out 7-4 on aggregate in the quarter-finals to FC Bayern München.

• Porto picked up seven points at home in this season's group stage, winning 1-0 against Club Brugge KV – their first European home victory in five matches – and 5-0 against Group G winners Leicester City FC.

• Attempting to reach the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals for the sixth time, the Dragons are unbeaten in their last seven (W3 D4) home encounters with Italian visitors. Before that they had won only one of six (D2 L3).

• Overall their record in 28 European games with Serie A opponents is W8 D9 L11. It includes another defeat on neutral territory, AC Milan triumphing 1-0 in the 2003 UEFA Super Cup in Monaco.

• Nuno Espírito Santo's team qualified for this season's group stage with a 4-1 aggregate play-off victory over AS Roma. After a 1-1 first-leg draw in Portugal they prevailed 3-0 over nine-man Roma in the return, Felipe, Miguel Layún and Jesús Corona scoring.

Juventus
• The Bianconeri won all three away fixtures in Group H and finished top with a three-point advantage. On matchday two they equalled their biggest UEFA Champions League away victory, winning 4-0 at GNK Dinamo Zagreb.

• Juve are targeting their tenth quarter-final in the UEFA Champions League but just their third in the last seven attempts. In last year's round of 16 the two-time European champions drew 2-2 at home to Bayern München, succumbing 4-2 away in extra time.

• Their last encounter with a Portuguese Liga club came in the 2013/14 UEFA Europa League semi-finals, when they drew 0-0 at home to SL Benfica having lost the Lisbon first leg 2-1 – denying them a place in the final at their own Juventus Stadium.

• Juventus's 11 meetings with Portuguese sides have ended W5 D2 L4 (W1 D1 L3 away). All four of those defeats came against Benfica.

Coach and Player links
• Alex Sandro played for Porto between 2011 and 2015, twice winning the Portuguese Liga.

• Dani Alves's first goal in Spain was scored past Iker Casillas in Sevilla's 4-1 Liga triumph over Real Madrid CF on 9 November 2003.

• In the 2009/10 UEFA Champions League round of 16 second leg, a Miralem Pjanić goal against Casillas earned Olympique Lyonnais a 1-1 draw at Real Madrid and a place in the quarter-finals.

• Mario Mandžukić scored twice overall against Casillas in the 2014/15 Spanish Super Cup and the Liga, Club Atlético de Madrid beating Real Madrid in both matches.

• Mandžukić was on target in Atlético's 3-1 league defeat by Espírito Santo's Valencia CF on 4 October 2014.

• Casillas made his last European appearance for Real Madrid against Juventus as the Bianconeri earned a 1-1 away draw and 3-2 aggregate win in the 2014/15 UEFA Champions League semi-finals.

• Maxi Pereira was sent off in Uruguay's 4-0 loss in Montevideo against Brazil in the 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifiers; Dani Alves notched the first goal.

• Have played together:
Casillas & Gonzalo Higuaín (Real Madrid 2006–13)
Casillas & Sami Khedira (Real Madrid 2010–15)
Yacine Brahimi & Medhi Benatia (Clermont Foot, 2009/10)

• Players who played in Italy:
Miguel Layún (Atalanta BC, 2009/10)
Alex Telles (FC Internazionale Milano, 2015/16)
Danilo Pereira (Parma FC, 2011/12)

Match facts

Porto
• André Silva and Felipe are a booking away from a ban.

• Porto finished bottom of their Portuguese League Cup group after a 1-0 loss to Moreirense FC on 3 January. That most recent defeat is one of only three the Dragons have suffered in 35 games in all competitions this season.

• Porto have won their last six Liga matches.

• Nuno's men are unbeaten at home (W14 D5) since a 3-1 reverse against Sporting Clube de Portugal on 30 April.

• January signing Francisco Soares scored twice on his debut, a 2-1 victory over Sporting on 4 February, was also on target in the 2-0 triumph over the team he left to join Porto, Vitória SC, a week later and struck again against Tondela on Friday.

• Brahimi was a member of the Algeria squad that failed to progress beyond the group stage at the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations.

• Danilo extended his contract until June 2022 on 26 January.

• Porto announced on 9 February that they will complete the permanent signing of Óliver Torres, who is on loan for the season from Atlético, in the summer.

UEFA Champions League squad changes
• In: Diogo Dalot, Francisco Ramos, Francisco Soares, Kelvin
• Out: Evandro, Adrián López, Luís Mata, Sergio Oliveira, Sérgio Ribeiro, Silvestre Varela

Juventus
• Juventus have won 11 of their 13 games in all competitions since matchday six, drawing one and losing the other. On Friday they won 4-1 at home to US Città di Palermo, Leonardo Bonucci's 300th game for the club.

• The Turin side succumbed 4-3 on penalties to Milan in the Italian Super Cup on 23 December after a 1-1 draw in Doha.

• Their only defeat in regulation time since the end of the group stage, 2-1, was inflicted by ACF Fiorentina on 15 January.

• Higuaín has scored 13 goals in his last 13 outings in all competitions.

• Juventus will play SSC Napoli in the two-legged Coppa Italia semi-finals after beating Atalanta BC (3-2) in the round of 16 and Milan 2-1 in the quarter-finals in January.

• The 2-0 success at Cagliari Calcio on 12 February was the 100th victory in all competitions for Massimiliano Allegri as Juve coach. He reached the milestone quicker than any of his predecessors, having taken 142 matches.

• On 2 February, Stephan Lichtsteiner renewed his expiring contract with Juventus until June 2018.

UEFA Champions League squad changes
• In: Stephan Lichtsteiner, Tomás Rincón
• Out: Patrice Evra, Hernanes