Both looking for two consecutive wins early in the group stage, Group H’s Porto and Barcelona gear up for their first meeting of the competition. The Primeira Liga outfit prepares to host the La Liga giants in front of the Estadio Do Dragao crowd. Sergio Conceciao’s crew ran over Shakhtar Donetsk in their first fixture of the campaign and enjoyed the 3-1 victory. Meanwhile, the Spanish champions produced a stellar performance and destroyed Royal Antwerp to boost their confidence ahead of Wednesday’s clash.

With the game neck-and-neck, we make sure you’re up to speed with the latest information. NitroBetting shares the latest news, soccer odds, and special features throughout the 2023-24 UEFA Champions League season. Let’s take a closer look at the upcoming Porto vs. Barcelona face-off in this preview.

Porto vs. Barcelona 2023/2024 Champions League Group H Match Info

⚽

FC Porto FC Barcelona

@FCPorto pic.twitter.com/6Go81U8iML

— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) October 4, 2023

• When: Wednesday, October 4, 2023, 3:00 PM ET
• Where: Estadio Do Dragao, Porto, Portugal
• TV: CBS
• Live Stream: Paramount+
• Soccer Odds: Porto (+300) // Barcelona (-123)

Why is Porto a safe bet to win?

Porto kicked off their Champions League campaign with a win versus Ukrainian soccer giants Shakhtar Donetsk. The two-time European champions followed that up with another important win over Gil Vicente, before suffering a damaging loss to league rivals Benfica on Friday. This leaves them trailing the champions and Sporting CP in the title race.

The home side will miss the services of a few players, including Ivan Marcano, Evanilson, Gabriel Veron, and Zaidu Sanusi. Team captain and veteran defender Pepe is also doubtful after the 40-year-old missed the fixture against Benfica due to a muscular issue.

Gaffer Sergio Coneciao likely maintains the familiar 4-2-3-1 formation on the pitch. Diogo Costa will lead the attack, while Joao Mario and Wendell will hold the backline. If Pepe does not get the green light for Wednesday’s matchup, Fabio Cardoso will fill in for him and start alongside David Carmo.

This is a tough matchup for the Portuguese club. They need to recover from a narrow 1-0 loss to domestic league rivals Benfica. They were far from their best form against the Lisbon-based club and could do better on both ends of the pitch.

Possible Line-Up

• Costa
• Mario
• Cardoso
• Carmo
• Wendell
• Eustaquio
• Varela
• Franco
• Jaime
• Galeno
• Taremi

Why is Barcelona a safe bet to win?

As for Barcelona, the La Liga outfit remains unfazed after eight games across domestic and international competitions. Their run features a five-goal victory over Belgian champions Antwerp in their opening group game. The Blaugrana are firing on all cylinders after a one-goal victory over Sevilla on Friday. They have Real Madrid legend Sergio Ramos to thank for that game after. The iconic Spanish defender slotted one into the back of his team’s net to give Barça the lead.

The visitors travel to Portugal in red-hot form. They outclassed their first group game opponents Antwerp in a five-goal performance on top of a clean sheet. Barça looks to build from this momentum ahead of their clash against Porto. Xavi is expected to keep the 4-3-3 formation, where Marc-Andre ter Stegen mans the sticks. Joao Cancelo and Alejandro Balde are his defenders for the night. The duo have been in top form recently and the pair look to maintain their commanding presence in the backline.

Andreas Christensen could start alongside Jules Koundé and headline the midfield. Oriol Romeu also takes his position as the defensive midfielder, while Gavi and İlkay Gündoğan provide Romeu support in the middle. Moreover, many anticipate Lamine Yama’s first start in the UCL, with Raphinha and Joao Felix expected to be part of the starting XI. Of course, iconic striker Robert Lewandowski will continue his role up front.

Possible Line-Up

• Ter Stegen
• Cancelo
• Kounde
• Araujo
• Balde
• Gavi
• Romeu
• Gundogan
• Yamal
• Lewandowski
• Felix

Porto vs. Barcelona Betting Trends

• Porto is 8-2 in its last 10 fixtures.
• Porto is 3-6 against the spread in its last 10 games.
• The totals went over in three of Porto’s last five contests.
• Barcelona is 7-3 in the last 10 matches.
• Barcelona is 4-5 against the spread in their last nine games.
• The totals went under in three of Barca’s last 10 fixtures.

Porto vs. Barcelona Betting Prediction

Barcelona has a stellar lineup. Their core team strength is nearly unmatched. However, Porto can slip one foot in the door since the La Liga club faced a severe injury crisis over the last few weeks. With the likes of Lamine Yamal and Fermin Lopez stepping up to seize the initiative in this fixture, Xavi can explore how their depth matches up in the international competition.

Meanwhile, FC Porto have good players in their arsenal and are capable of pulling off an upset on a good day. Barcelona is the better team on paper, but the visitors hold the title of the favorites and should be able to set the tempo early on.

Where to Bet on Soccer with Crypto

Soccer odds are available all year long here at Nitrobetting. Create a Nitrobetting account now to place your stakes on any of the elite leagues and international matchups.

This is just one of the many sports betting guides that you can read here at Nitrobetting news. Stay tuned for more soccer previews and articles, and don’t forget to check out the latest soccer betting odds on our crypto sportsbook.

READ MORE: RB Leipzig vs. Manchester City 2023-24 Champions League Group G Odds & Preview