Date: August 20, 2014
Venue: Grand Stade Lille Metropole, Villeneuve d’Ascq, France
Time: 20:45 hours BST
The playoff round of the Champions League 2014-15 kicks off this week. Soon we will know 10 more teams which will contest the UEFA Champions League Group Stage.
One of the bigger match-ups is this game between Lille and Porto. Lille, who entered in the third qualifying round and who have already played two matches in Ligue 1, could have an advantage over a Porto side whose first competitive match was just this past weekend. The two sides meet in what should be an exciting clash at the Grand Stade Lille Metropole.
Form
Lille: L-W-D-D-W
Lille have had a decent run of form lately. After losing a Club Friendly to Zenit, they defeated Grashoppers in the third round of the Champions League on aggregate. Then, they tied Metz and defeated Caen- two relegation contenders in Ligue 1- and have picked up four out of six points so far in the French league.
Porto: W-D-D-W-W
As mentioned, Lille may have an advantage over Porto in that Porto hasn’t played many competitive games, and they have played only six friendlies. But on the bright side, in those friendlies they didn’t lose a game, and in their league debut they impressed with a 2-0 win over Maritimo.
Key Players
Lille: Vincent Enyeama
The Nigerian goalkeeper was key to Lille winning their recent Ligue 1 match, as Lille were outplayed for the 90 minutes. The goalkeeper was able to make four saves and keep a clean sheet, and will have to be even more on his toes against a speedy Porto side that features the likes of Jackson Martinez.
Porto: Christian Tello
The on-loan Barcelona player created the 2nd goal for Porto against Maritimo, and Porto will be hoping he can create chances for Jackson Martinez and impressive teenager Ruben Neves as well. Many saw the quality he had while watching Barcelona, now it will be interesting to see if he can turn that quality into becoming one of the top players in Europe this season.
Betting Advice
With Lille at home, that should give them an advantage. But player for player, I think Porto may be a little stronger.
So I’m going for a draw here which is a best price of 3.3 with BetFred, who also offer £10 as signing up bonus to all new customers. Back the 1-1 scoreline too which is a very juicy price of 6.5 with BetVictor.