FC Porto vs AS Roma
Uefa Champions League 2018-19 | Round of 16, second leg
Venue: Estadio do Dragao, Porto
Date: Wednesday, March 6, 2019
Kick-off: 8pm GMT
It is advantage Roma as the Serie A outfit travel to Portugal on Wednesday evening for the second leg of their competitive Champions League last-16 tie against Porto.
Impressive teenage midfielder Nicolo Zaniolo netted a brace in the first meeting at the Stadio Olimpico to condemn Porto - unbeaten during the group stage - to a rare defeat, though Sergio Conceicao's side did manage to grab a potentially important away goal through Adrian Lopez.
It has been a disappointing domestic campaign for Group G runners-up Roma, who languish fifth in the Italian top-flight and suffered a comprehensive 3-0 loss to Lazio in the Rome derby over the weekend.
Porto, meanwhile, were knocked off the top of the Primeira Liga by Benfica following a 2-1 defeat to their biggest rivals at the Estadio do Dragao on Saturday.
Porto vs Roma team news and predicted lineups
For Porto, Moussa Marega should have a chance to add to his tally of five Champions League goals this term after returning from a thigh injury earlier than expected with a 90-minute outing against Benfica.
Fellow striker Vincent Aboubakar has been sidelined since undergoing surgery on a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament in September.
Porto XI: Casillas, Pepe, Telles, Felipe, Herrera, Militao, Pereira, Otavinho, Brahimi, Tiquinho, Marega
Roma's Greek defender Kostas Manolas is said to have recovered from an ankle injury, though was not risked against Lazio due to a stomach bug as Juan Jesus took his place in defence.
Winger Cengiz Under also missed the derby with a thigh injury.
Roma XI: Mirante, Florenzi, Manolas, Fazio, Kolarov, Cristante, De Rossi, Pellegrini, Zaniolo, Dzeko, El Shaarawy
Score prediction: Porto 1-1 Roma
Porto boast a formidable home record, though will no doubt have been rocked by that potentially pivotal defeat to Benfica on their own patch.
It should be another evenly-matched contest and Roma, Champions League semi-finalists last season, are certainly enduring a lot of disappointment in Serie A, though they should have enough quality to defend their slender advantage and squeeze through to the last eight.
