The Daily Star Ireland
FC Porto, accustomed to competing in the Champions League in recent years, has found itself relegated to the Europa League this season. The Portuguese side has struggled to find the necessary motivation to perform at its usual level. After securing a single victory against Hoffenheim (2-0) in late October, Porto sits in 23rd place in the group standings. Since then, they have faced a 2-1 defeat to Lazio and a 2-2 draw with Anderlecht. Their domestic form has been similarly disappointing, suffering a heavy 4-1 loss to Benfica before bouncing back with a 2-0 win over Casa Pia. They will face Famalicao next weekend.
In contrast, FC Midtjylland, while not as renowned on the European stage, has had a better start in the Europa League, earning two more points than Porto after the first five matchdays. The Danish side secured victories against Maccabi Tel Aviv (0-2) and Union Saint-Gilloise (1-0), but lost to FCSB (2-0) and Eintracht Frankfurt (1-2). In their domestic league, Midtjylland is still in the title race, sitting just three points behind the leader, FC Copenhagen. They were aiming for a third consecutive win when they played Lyngby last weekend.
Both teams are dealing with injuries, with Porto missing key players like Ivan Marcano, Fran Navarro, Grujic, and Gul, while Midtjylland is without Simsir, Franculino, Osoro, Marrony, and Gue-sung Cho. However, both teams have players to watch, such as Porto’s Samu Omorodion, Galeno, and Nico Gonzalez, while Midtjylland can rely on the attacking strength of Buksa and Franculino, if they recover.
Prediction
Despite Midtjylland’s struggles on the road, having lost six of their last eight away games, Porto has been in strong form, especially at home. Given Porto’s attacking prowess and Midtjylland’s away form, the prediction for this match is a 2-0 win for FC Porto.
