Sabasports Match Preview
Europa League: FC Utrecht vs FC Porto
Kickoff Time: 2025-11-07 01:45 (HKT)
Source: REUTERS/RITA FRANCA
FC Utrecht finished fourth in the Eredivisie last season, but their performance has been below par this season. They have only managed five wins, one draw, and five losses in the league, with a win rate of less than 50%. Their performance in European competitions has been even worse, losing all three matches in the group stage without scoring a single goal. In these three European matches, the team attempted a total of 29 shots, with only six on target, indicating a completely out-of-form attacking line. For example, in their last league match against the weaker Eredivisie side NEC Nijmegen, Utrecht, playing at home, showed no dominance in possession, with only 38% ball control throughout the game. If it weren’t for their opponent missing a penalty in the final moments, Utrecht might have dropped points at home. So far this season, the highly anticipated former Borussia Dortmund star Sebastien Haller has yet to adapt to the team’s tactics and has not scored since joining. Additionally, injuries to key players such as Yoann Cathline (the team’s second-most valuable player), Dani de Wit (who scored in the first two league rounds), and Victor Jensen (who scored five goals in the Europa League qualifiers) have significantly weakened Utrecht’s attacking prowess.
FC Porto is one of the three dominant teams in the Portuguese Primeira Liga. This season, they have achieved nine wins and one draw in the league, placing them at the top of the table. In European competitions, they have secured two wins and one loss, with the defeat coming against the stronger English Premier League side Nottingham Forest. This remains their only loss of the season. Statistics from their last European match show that, despite the loss, Porto managed 10 shots and even had a goal disallowed by VAR. Both of the goals they conceded came from penalties, indicating that their defensive performance in open play was acceptable. This season, 21-year-old Spanish striker Samu Aghehowa has become the team’s standout performer, contributing six goals and one assist in the league. Right-back Alberto Costa and attacking midfielder Gabri Veiga have become the core of the team’s attack, with the former providing five assists and the latter contributing one goal and four assists.
After three rounds of European matches, Utrecht has zero points and no goals. Taking Rangers, who advanced to the knockout stage with 14 points as the eighth-placed team last season, as an example, Utrecht would need to win all their remaining five matches to have a chance of qualifying, which is by no means an easy task. As a result, Utrecht is likely to focus more energy and resources on their league campaign and may field a weakened team in European competitions. Given the significant gap in European performance between the two teams, Porto is expected to secure a comfortable victory in this encounter.
FC Utrecht‘s Last 5 Games: WLLWL
25-11-02 FC Utrecht 1-0 NEC Nijmegen
25-10-26 AZ Alkmaar 4-1 FC Utrecht
25-10-24 Freiburg 2-0 FC Utrecht
25-10-19 FC Utrecht 3-1 FC Volendam
25-10-05 Feyenoord 3-2 FC Utrecht
FC Porto‘s Last 5 Games: WWLWD
25-11-03 FC Porto 2-1 SC Braga
25-10-28 Moreirense 1-2 FC Porto
25-10-24 Nottingham Forest 2-0 FC Porto
25-10-19 Celoricense 0-4 FC Porto
25-10-06 FC Porto 0-0 Benfica
Head-To-Head Record
None
Prediction: FC Porto to win