UEFA Champions League: Team news, broadcast options, preview for Porto vs. Arsenal live on Feb. 21, 2024

Topics: TV Schedules, Porto, Arsenal, UEFA Champions League

The Gunners aim to reach the quarterfinals for the first time since 2010 but must first overcome the Dragons. Here is a preview of thier first-leg showdown.

Where can I watch Porto vs. Arsenal on TV?

This game will not be televized in the USA while those in the UK can tune in to TNT Sports 1. This game will not be on TV in Australia or Canada as well but fans in Portugal can tune in to Eleven Sports 1 Portugal and TVI. If you live elsewhere, please check our dedicated match page for further information on how to follow this game live on TV in your country.

Where can I stream Porto vs. Arsenal live?

Fans in the USA have Paramount+ and ViX to choose from. UK fans can tune in to discovery+ and the discovery+ app while those in Canada need a DAZN subscription to watch this game live. Stan Sport has fans in Australia covered while DAZN Portugal and TVI Player will stream this fixture in Portugal. If you live elsewhere, please check our dedicated match page for further information on how to stream this game live in your country.

Preview

Arsenal are in action in the UEFA Champions League round of 16 for the first time since 2017, with the Gunners visiting Porto in Wednesday's highly-anticipated first-leg showdown. The North London giants will be aiming to reach the quarterfinals for the first time since 2010 but the visitors cannot underestimate their opponent in this Estádio do Dragão clash.

Mikel Arteta's men enter this tie on the back of fantastic form. After winning only once in seven outings between December 9 and January 7, Saka and Co. have turned things around, winning every single fixture since their FA Cup exit at the hands of rivals Liverpool.

Not only have Arsenal won five in a row since then, with all five victories coming in the Premier League, but the Community Shield winners have done so in emphatic fashion, scoring 21 goals while conceding only twice.

In fact, Arteta's side have scored a whopping 11 in their last three fixtures, with three coming against Liverpool, six against West Ham, and five against Burnley — the latter two were without reply. This has handed the Gunners a huge boost in what is a tightly-contested Premier League race.

Saka and Co. have dropped back to third following Manchester City's 1-0 win over Brentford on Tuesday but Arsenal will be focused on their UEFA Champions League campaign. The English club have been disappointing in Europe under their current manager but performed brilliantly in the group stage.

The 2006 runners-up won all but two of their six group-stage matches, including a 6-0 thrashing of Lens at the Emirates Stadium, but drew 1-1 away to PSV in their most recent outing while losing 2-1 at Lens on Matchday 2. Nonetheless, this was sufficient to see Arteta's side top their group.

Porto, on the flip side, narrowly missed out on the no.1 spot in their group to continental powerhouses Barcelona. However, the Portuguese giants emerged from Group H with their heads held high nonetheless.

The Dragons lost both home and away to the Catalan giants yet finished level on points with 12 each. Furthermore, Sérgio Conceição's side had a superior goal difference to the Blaugrana after outsourcing them by three goals.

However, the head-to-head record is the tiebreaker in the UEFA Champions League and thus Porto were forced to settle for the no.2 spot, hence their tie with Group B winners Arsenal.

Domestically, things have not been going great for the hosts. Taremi and Co. sit third in the Primeira Liga table, with Lisbon duo Benfica and Sporting CP tied at the top with a seven-point advantage.

Furthermore, the Dragons have dropped points in two of their last four games, drawing 0-0 with Rio Ave before losing 3-2 at Arouca in their subsequent match. Additionally, Porto do not have the greatest of records against Arsenal — and Premier League clubs in general — in Europe. However, Wednesday's fixture presents them with an opportunity to correct that.

Team news

Porto: Zaidu Sanusi sadly suffered a complete ACL tear over the weekend and will be sidelined for a considerable spell, joining Ivan Marcano on the sidelines. Stephen Eustaquio is a doubt while Mehdi Taremi has been ruled out, meaning Evanilson will spearhead the Dragons' attack.

Arsenal: Fabio Vieira and Thomas Partey have both returned to training but only the Portuguese midfielder has made the trip to Porto, his former club. Oleksandr Zinchenko, Gabriel Jesus, and Takehiro Tomiyasu have not yet returned, though their issues are not thought to be serious. Jurrien Timber is recovering well from his ACL injury but is not yet close to a return.

Key stats

Porto have crashed out of the UEFA Champions League in seven of their eight knockout-stage encounters with Premier League clubs.
The Gunners have been knocked out of the UEFA Champions League in the round of 16 in their last seven campaigns. The last time they made it past this round was in 2009-10 when they met Porto and beat them 6-2 on aggregate.
The North London giants have won all three home encounters with Porto in this competition but are yet to beat them at the Estádio do Dragão (D1, L2).
The last five teams to knockout Porto in the UEFA Champions League knockout stage have gone all the way to the final (Juventus in 2016-17, Liverpool in 2017-18 and 2018-19, Chelsea in 2020-21, and Inter in 2022-23).
Arteta's last encounter with a Portuguese club ended horribly after losing to Sporting CP in the UEFA Europa League round of 16 on penalties last season.
No player has been involved in more UEFA Champions League goals than Bukayo Saka (three goals, four assists).