Atletico Madrid vs Porto predictions and match preview for Wednesday’s UEFA Champions League fixture. Read on for analysis and predicted lineups as these sides renew hostilities after also meeting in the group stage last term.
| Date | Wednesday 7th September 2022 |
| Kick-Off | 21:00 (local time) |
| Stadium | Metropolitano |
| Competition | UEFA Champions League |
Atletico Madrid vs Porto Preview
It’s a case of deja vu for Atletico Madrid and Porto who met on the opening matchday in the Champions League group stage last season at the Metropolitano. The game ended goalless and it wouldn’t be a big surprise if this one was cagey too.
There is a significant difference this year though in that the other two teams in this group are not Liverpool and Milan, but Bayer Leverkusen and Club Brugge. That gives both sides a much greater chance of progress and Atleti will certainly fancy their chances of topping this group if they can make a winning start here.
It has been a mixed start to the season for Diego Simeone’s side in LaLiga with 7 points from their opening 4 games. That’s not a disastrous return from some tricky fixtures but it does feel like they are going to struggle to keep pace with Real Madrid and Barcelona this season in LaLiga and they already have ground to make up. The cups could prove their best shot at a trophy and if they can find minor improvements across the pitch, they should be really competitive in the Champions League having narrowly exited at the Quarter-Final stage last term against Manchester City.
They will have a pretty good idea of what to expect from this Porto side following the two games last season. Sérgio Conceição remains in charge and delivered another domestic title for the Northern Portuguese club last season. A 3-1 home defeat against Atleti in their decisive final UCL group game was one of the lowlights of their 2021/22 campaign and resulted in Porto dropping into the Europa League where they defeated Lazio before exiting against Lyon.
This season, Porto will certainly believe they can get out of this group and they had progressed from four straight Champions League group stages prior to last term when the draw was not kind. They head into this game 3rd in the Portuguese Primeira Liga having won four of their five games, but they did suffer a shock 3-1 defeat at Rio Ave the weekend before last.
Possible Lineups (via Sofascore)
Score Prediction: Atletico Madrid 0-0 Porto
This is a tricky opening game for Atleti against experienced European campaigners and it just feels like caution may prevail here as two teams who know each other well meet. Atletico Madrid have looked a bit better defensively so far this term but unless they take a few unlikely risks here, they may struggle to create too much against the Portuguese side. Don’t rule out a repeat of last season’s goalless draw in this fixture.
PLEASE NOTE – Our European predictions are not betting tips! No profits are guaranteed if you’re using them to bet on Spanish teams playing in Europe. If you are gambling, do so responsibly and never stake more than you can afford to lose. BeGambleAware.
