Barcelona vs Porto facts

The top two in UEFA Champions League Group H meet at the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys as Barcelona take on Porto in the penultimate round of fixtures.

The pair both have nine points – Barcelona having won 1-0 in Portugal on Matchday 2 – although Shakhtar Donetsk are only three further back after beating the Spanish side in Hamburg in the most recent round of fixtures.

Previous meetings 

Barcelona wins 6
Porto wins 3
Draws 0
Barcelona goals 16
Porto goals 9

A Ferran Torres goal a minute into first-half added time proved enough for Barcelona to take all three points at the Estádio do Dragão on Matchday 2, the visitors holding on despite losing Gavi to a late red card for a second booking.

That made it five successive victories against Porto for Barça, who had lost three of the teams' first four meetings.

The sides' previous meeting had come in the 2011 UEFA Super Cup in Monaco, Barcelona claiming the trophy for the fourth time with a 2-0 victory courtesy of goals late in each half from Lionel Messi (39) and Cesc Fàbregas (88). Porto ended with nine men after late red cards for Rolando and Fredy Guarín with current Barcelona coach Xavi Hernández playing 90 minutes for the winners.

Porto won home (3-1) and away (1-0) in the 1972/73 UEFA Cup first round, and also triumphed 3-1 at home in the 1985/86 European Cup second round second leg – but lost that tie on away goals having gone down 2-0 in Spain.

Barcelona were 3-0 winners at home to Porto in the one-off Champions League semi-final in 1993/94, Hristo Stoichkov scoring twice in the first half and Ronald Koeman wrapping up the win in the second.

Barcelona beat Porto 4-2 at home and 2-0 away in the 1999/2000 Champions League second group stage, Rivaldo scoring twice in the first game – when Frank de Boer and Patrick Kluivert were also on target and Mário Jardel got two for the visitors – and once in the second.

Form guide

Barcelona

Record vs Portuguese clubs: W18 D5 L7 F51 A26
Home record vs Portuguese clubs: W11 D2 L1

Barcelona's last games against Portuguese opponents came in the 2021/22 group stage, when they lost 3-0 at Benfica on Matchday 2 before a goalless draw at the Camp Nou on Matchday 5. Those results played a decisive role as they finished third in the section behind the Lisbon club.

The defeat at Benfica is the Blaugrana's only loss in their last 19 matches against Portuguese opponents, home and away (W14 D4), since a 1-0 reverse at Belenenses in the 1987/88 UEFA Cup first round.

Barça have won 11 of their 14 home games against Portuguese visitors, losing only the first – that 1972 game against Porto – although they have drawn two of the last three.

This is Barcelona's 28th Champions League group stage campaign, a competition record they share with Real Madrid. They have featured every season since 2003/04.

Barcelona have twice won the European Cup at Wembley, the venue for this season's final; they beat Sampdoria 1-0 after extra time in 1992 to take the trophy for the first time, and also defeated Manchester United 3-1 in 2011.

The five-time European champions reached the quarter-finals or better every season between 2007/08 and 2019/20, winning the title in 2009, 2011 and 2015, but have failed to make the round of 16 in each of the last two campaigns.

Xavi's side were third in their section for the second season running in 2022/23, winning only two of their six games – both against Viktoria Plzeň – and losing three to finish behind Bayern München and eventual runners-up Inter Milan. Barcelona failed to score in three of their Group C games.

Barça's subsequent UEFA Europa League campaign lasted only one tie, Manchester United eliminating them 4-3 on aggregate (2-2 h, 1-2 a) in the knockout round play-offs.

This season, the Spanish side kicked off with a 5-0 win at home to Antwerp before beating Shakhtar 2-1 at home on Matchday 3 after the victory at Porto, although their momentum was halted by a 1-0 loss to the Ukrainian club last time out.

Barcelona have won only one home European game in each of the last two seasons. Indeed, this season's defeats of Antwerp and Shakhtar have made it just four successes in 14 European games in their own stadium, with five defeats in that sequence.

The Catalan club claimed their 27th Liga title, and a first for four seasons, in 2022/23, finishing ten points ahead of Real Madrid at the top of the standings.

Porto

Record vs Spanish clubs: W17 D6 L27 F59 A75
Away record vs Spanish clubs: W6 D3 L15

Porto have been paired with Atlético de Madrid in the group stage in each of the last two campaigns, drawing 0-0 in Madrid in 2021/22 and losing 2-1 on Matchday 1 last season in the first game in Champions League history in which all three goals came in added time.

The Dragons have lost five of their last seven games away to Spanish sides, winning only one – 2-0 at Athletic Club in the 2014/15 Champions League group stage.

Home and away, Porto have lost three of their last five matches against Spanish clubs (W1 D1).

Porto are appearing in the Champions League group stage for the 27th time, level with Bayern and one behind the competition record held by Barcelona and Real Madrid.

This is the Portuguese club's 12th appearance in the last 13 seasons, with five of their last six campaigns having extended into the knockout rounds.

The Dragons were edged out by eventual runners-up Inter in the 2022/23 round of 16, losing 1-0 in Milan before a 0-0 draw in Portugal. Porto had finished first in Group B ahead of Club Brugge, Bayer Leverkusen and Atlético de Madrid.

This season, Porto have lost only to Barcelona, beating Shakhtar 3-1 in Germany on Matchday 1 and overcoming Antwerp 4-1 away and 2-1 at home.

The home victory against Antwerp made it 15 wins in Porto's last 32 matches in the Champions League proper (D4 L13).

Porto have won seven of their last 13 away games in the Champions League, group stage to final (D3 L3).

Porto were European champions in 1987 and 2004. They are the only Portuguese side to reach the Champions League final.

Links and trivia

Nico González joined Porto from Barcelona in the summer. Having signed for Barça in 2013, he made his first-team debut in August 2021, going on to play 37 games in all competitions that season, scoring twice. He spent 2022/23 on loan at Valencia, scoring once in 26 La Liga games.

Have also played in Spain:
Pepe (Real Madrid 2007-2017)
Iván Marcano (Racing Club 2006–09, Villarreal 2009/10, Getafe 2010/11)
Iván Jaime (Málaga 2018–20)
Fran Navarro (Valencia 2014-21)
Toni Martínez (Valencia B 2013–16, Valladolid 2017/18, Rayo Majadahonda 2018, Lugo 2019)

Pepe was part of the Madrid side that won the Champions League in 2013/14, 2015/16 and 2016/17, the 2014 Super Cup and the FIFA Club World Cup in 2014 and 2016, and also added three Liga titles and two Copas del Rey during his time in Spain.

Have played in Portugal:
Raphinha (Vitoria SC 2015–18, Sporting CP 2018–19)
João Félix (Benfica 2015–19)
João Cancelo (Benfica 2007–14)

João Félix, who was part of the Porto youth academy between 2008 and 2015 before moving to Benfica, scored against the Dragons in Benfica's 2-1 away victory on 2 March 2019.

Raphinha faced Porto seven times while playing in Portugal and never won, drawing three and losing four. He did score in a 4-2 defeat for Vitoria SC in January 2018, and two of those draws ended up with Raphinha lifting trophies, his Sporting side beating Porto in penalty shoot-outs in the finals of both the League Cup and the Portuguese Cup in 2018/19.

Cancelo's only Portuguese Liga match for Benfica came against Porto, a 2-1 defeat at the Estádio do Dragão on the final day of the 2013/14 season with the Lisbon side already crowned champions.

International team-mates:
João Cancelo, João Félix & Pepe, Diogo Costa (Portugal)

Torres scored both goals for Spain in a 2-0 win against a Portugal side featuring Porto's João Mario in the 2019 UEFA European Under-19 Championship final.

Robert Lewandowski scored twice as Bayern Munchen beat Porto 6-1 in the second leg of the 2014/15 Champions League quarter-finals.

İlkay Gündoğan found the net in Manchester City's 3-1 home win against Porto on Matchday 1 of the 2020/21 Champions League.

Wendell was in the Bayer Leverkusen side that lost 2-1 in Barcelona before a 1-1 home draw in the 2015/16 Champions League group stage. Sergi Roberto scored Barcelona's equaliser at the Camp Nou.

Andreas Christensen was in the Chelsea side that won 2-0 in Porto in the 2020/21 Champions League quarter-final first leg.

Porto coach Sérgio Conceição came off the bench in Inter's 0-0 draw against Barcelona in Milan in the 2002/03 Champions League second group stage. Xavi played the 90 minutes for the visitors.

Vítor Baía and Deco won European trophies with both clubs and are now part of the board of directors at Porto and Barcelona respectively.

Latest news

Barcelona

Matchday 3 was Barcelona's 200th European Cup victory.

The Matchday 2 win against Porto was Xavi Hernández's 100th game as Barcelona coach and his 63rd victory (D18 L19).

Already the second youngest player in UEFA Champions League history, Lamine Yamal became the youngest player to start a match in the competition at Porto, aged 16 years 83 days – three days younger than Celestine Babayaro when he played for Anderlecht against Steaua București in November 1994.

Barcelona's La Liga record this season is W9 D4 L1. On Saturday they needed a late own goal to rescue a 1-1 draw at Rayo Vallecano.

Barça have picked up 15 points in the league this season thanks to goals scored in the last 15 minutes.

Xavi's side were 2-1 winners at home to Alavés on 12 November.

Barcelona have won 12 of their 18 games in all competitions this season. They have only lost two matches, a 2-1 home Liga defeat against Real Madrid on 28 October, and the 1-0 reverse at Shakhtar Donetsk on Matchday 4.

Robert Lewandowski is Barcelona's top scorer with seven goals in 12 league games.

Lewandowski ended a run of six games without scoring with two goals against Alavés.

On 22 October, teenage forward Marc Guiu came off the bench to mark his senior debut with the only goal in a 1-0 home win against Athletic Club. Aged 17 years 291 days, he was Barcelona's youngest La Liga debutant to score in the 21st century.

Yamal scored Barcelona's first goal in a 2-2 draw at Granada on 8 October, making him the youngest scorer in La Liga history at the age of 16 years 87 days.

Pedri returned as a second-half substitute in a 1-0 Liga win at Real Sociedad on 4 November having not played since August due to a muscle injury. He started against Alavés and on Saturday.

Marc-André ter Stegen missed the weekend draw with a back injury.

A calf injury has kept Sergi Roberto on the sidelines since 17 October.

Gavi tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee and also suffered a meniscus injury in Spain's 3-1 UEFA EURO 2024 qualifying win against Georgia on 19 November.

Ferran Torres was on target for Spain in that game.

João Cancelo scored Portugal's second goal in a 2-0 EURO 2024 qualifying win against Liechtenstein on 16 November.

Yamal became Spain's youngest player and scorer, aged 16 years 57 days in a 7-1 win at home to Georgia on 8 September. He is also the youngest EURO goalscorer, beating Gareth Bale's record (17 years 83 days).

On 30 October Lewandowski finished 12th in the Ballon d'Or voting, won for the eighth time by former Barcelona forward Lionel Messi.

The same day, Pedri came third in the voting for the Kopa Award for the best young player with Gavi fifth and Alejandro Balde seventh.

Porto

Pepe's goal against Antwerp on Matchday 4 made him the oldest scorer in UEFA Champions League, aged 40 years 254 days – smashing the long-standing record of Francesco Totti, who was 38 years 59 days when he found the net for Roma against CSKA Moskva in November 2014. It was Pepe's first Champions League goal since November 2012, when he was 29.

The Porto defender's appearance at Antwerp on Matchday 3 had made him the oldest outfield player to feature in the Champions League, aged 40 years 241 days, surpassing the record of both Alessandro Costacurta and David Weir (40 years 111 days).

Evanilson's hat-trick at Antwerp on Matchday 3 was only Porto's second in the competition, after Yacine Brahimi against BATE Borisov in 2014. The Brazilian also became only the seventh player to score a Champions League hat-trick as a substitute.

Porto have won seven of their last eight games in all competitions, losing the other.

On Friday Evanilson scored twice as the Dragons beat fourth division side Montalegre 4-0 in the Portuguese Cup fourth round. Danny Namaso opened the scoring with his first goal of the season and substitute Fran Navarro got the final goal, his first for the club.

Evanilson has eight goals in his last eight appearances in all competitions, and is Porto's top scorer this season with nine in all competitions.

Porto came from behind to win 2-1 at Vitória SC in the Portuguese Liga on 11 November, Francisco Conceição setting up Zaidu to make it 1-1 before scoring the winner himself.

Porto suffered their second Portuguese Liga defeat of the season on 3 November, going down 1-0 at home to Estoril. It also ended their ten-match unbeaten home league run (W9 D1), since a 2-1 loss against Gil Vicente on 26 February.

Porto are yet to score more than two goals in a match in the Portuguese Liga this season while a 2-0 win at Vizela on 29 October is their only one in the current league campaign by a margin of more than one goal.

The Dragons have scored in 14 of their 18 matches this season, losing all four in which they failed to find the net.

Evanilson is one of five Porto players on two Portuguese Liga goals, alongside Stephen Eustáquio, Mehdi Taremi, Toni Martínez and Iván Marcano.

Diogo Costa played 90 minutes as Portugal sealed qualification for EURO 2024 with a 3-2 win over Slovakia at the Estadio do Dragão on 13 October. Having kept a clean sheet in the 5-0 win in Bosnia and Herzegovina three days later and in the 2-0 home defeat of Iceland on 19 November, those two Slovakia goals are the only ones he conceded in his seven international appearances in 2023.

Eustáquio scored in Canada's 2-1 victory away to Jamaica in the CONCACAF Nations League quarter-final first leg on 17 November, and also played in the 3-2 home defeat in the second leg four days later – meaning elimination on away goals.

Taremi scored in Iran's win against Hong Kong (4-0) on 16 November and draw in Uzbekistan (2-2) four days later in 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying.

A Francisco Conceição goal in Greece did not prevent Portugal losing 2-1 in 2025 Under-21 UEFA European Championship qualifying on 20 November. It was the third consecutive U21 game in which he had found the net after registering in the victories over Belarus (6-1) and Greece (2-0) on 13 and 17 October respectively.

Called up to the squad for the first time, Pepê made his Brazil debut as a late substitute in a 2-1 World Cup qualifying defeat in Colombia on 16 November.

Previously Porto's only ever-present this season, Galeno returned to action against Vitória SC having missed three games due to muscle problems. He also started on Friday.

Zaidu sprained his left foot at Vitória SC having only returned to action in the previous game against Antwerp; he had been out since Matchday 1. He has not played since.

Pepe suffered a muscle injury to his right thigh at Vitória SC and had to withdraw from Portugal's squad for the final two UEFA EURO 2024 qualifiers. He also missed Porto's cup win on Friday.

Wendell was replaced at Antwerp on Matchday 3 due to a left calf injury and has not played since.

Marcano injured his right knee during the 1-0 win at Estrela da Amadora on 15 September and was diagnosed with a damaged cruciate ligament, meaning he will be sidelined for several months.

Porto will face Estoril and Leixões in Group D of the Portuguese League Cup, of which they are also the holders. The first match will be at Estoril on 6 December.

Sérgio Conceição's side started their season by losing 2-0 against Benfica in the Portuguese Super Cup on 9 August, with captain Pepe sent off late on.

On 20 November, at the Quinas de Ouro gala, an annual event promoted by the Portuguese Football Federation which recognses sporting achievements, Pepe received a special distinction for becoming the oldest outfield Champions League player.