Tuesday 26/08/2014, 20:45, Champions League Qualifiers, Porto vs Lille

Porto vs Lille Preview

Lille missed out on a great opportunity to take the lead after the first leg and they now have to offset a one goal handicap in Portugal. It won't be easy to score against Porto, a team that allowed a single goal in the last four matches and is currently writing a four games winning streak. The 1-0 win allows the host to play it safe and wait for the right opportunity to strike, while adding a lot of pressure on the visitors, who are compelled to take more chances.

Porto vs Lille Odds

At Bet365

Porto 1.60, Draw 3.60, Lille 6.00

Porto vs Lille Tips

Lille started the first leg slow and allowed their opponents to establish a beachhead into their own half, while gradually giving up ball possession. At the end of the match, it was the Portuguese side who emerged victorious and it looked like a well-deserved win, since they had the ball 60% of the time.

Nevertheless, Lille sent more shots at the net and even more balls went wide, so it is only fair to say that the game could've gone either way. Origi and Kalou started up front but they failed to meet the high expectations and both of them were replaced in the second half with Mendes and Lopez. The reserves didn't do much better, so it is unlikely for them to feature in the starting 11.

The French side only needs a narrow margin victory on the road and they are specialists at prevailing by a single goal, having won 75% of their matches last season in this fashion. The starting formation will remain virtually unchanged and there is no reason to expect the visitors to take unnecessary chances in the first half.

As for Porto, they were probably thrilled at the result and managed to replicate the victory three days later, while using exactly the same team. Martinez is guaranteed to play upfront and his most likely replacement is 22-year-old Aboubakar, who joined the team from Lorient where he was the top scorer.

Key Facts

• Porto has turned into a pragmatic team that enjoys winning games by a narrow margin, something that Lille has been doing for years.
• The hosts will use a single striker and a healthy midfield featuring five players, while the visitors will field a more offensive starting formation.

Porto vs Lille Prediction

Bookmakers tend to overestimate Porto based on the recent results and the string of consecutive victories, making it impossible for punters to place such a wager. Lille is the underdog tonight but even if they lose, it is unlikely for the French side to suffer a complete meltdown and go down by two goals or more. Betting on the visitors to win or draw with the cover of a 0:1 Asian handicap is priced at 1.75 by Bet365.

Bet: Lille +1 goals @ 1.75 with Bet365