The UEFA Champions League round of 16 first leg tie between Porto and FC Basel finished in a draw, 1-1, which has made the second leg between the two sides an entertaining one.
The first leg was dominated by the Portuguese club, though it was Basel who had taken the lead only to be cancelled by a late strike from the penalty spot by Danilo.
But, FC Basel would be in for a huge game tonight, as Porto would be playing at home, where they are a very strong side. It would not be unfair to award the favourite tag to Porto (for second leg).
Having said that, Porto are in a spot of bother as their key striker, Jackson Martinez, has been ruled out of the game, who is Porto's top scorer as well. Porto have been impressive in all competitions of late as they have won five of their last six matches.
"The game will be played at maximum intensity and we will have to perform to our best in every respect. We are looking to overcome a team who have had an excellent Champions League campaign this season and in previous years," said Julen Lopetegui, Porto coach, as quoted in uefa.com
FC Basel have been impressive in the competition this time around as well, as they finished well ahead of English giants, Liverpool in the group stages to progress into the knock-out stages.
Porto also have been in terrific form starting from the group stages as they lie undefeated in the competition, which is a tremendous record with six wins and three draws.
But, Paulo Sousa, Basel's coach is confident and positive ahead of their clash against Porto.
He said, "This feels amazing. It's something really special to compete at this level and we are happy to be here, competing against the best – we are confident and positive. Any time we can relieve the pressure posed by Porto we can create difficulties. That might be when our goal appears."
FC Basel looked second best in the first leg at home, as they were not able to pressurise Porto with their attack. Despite being at home, the game was more or less controlled by Porto. If FC Basel are to progress past the round of 16, they need to find the back of the net.
Sousa wants his players to create more chances in the second leg.
"We believe that contrary to the first leg, we will be able to keep the ball in our ranks and create chances this time. There will be moments when we will have to defend, but I believe we will create more opportunities than we did in the first leg."
As far as their domestic leagues are concerned, FC Basel have a seven-point lead on top of their league, while Porto trail Benfica by four points in their league.
One can say that both of them are top clubs in their respective nations, hence it is a huge clash, especially for Basel, as they have a point to prove and show that their entry into the knock out stages at Liverpool's expense was no fluke.
Where to Watch Live
The round of 16 clash between Bayer Leverkusen and Atletico Madrid is scheduled at 7:45pm GMT (1:15am IST, 2:45pm GMT) start with live TV coverage in India on Ten Sports.
Viewers across the UK can watch it live on Sky Sports 5/HD with live streaming option on SKY Go, while viewers in the US can watch it live on Fox Soccer 2Go with live streaming facility on Fox Soccer 2Go
Viewers in Portugal can watch it live on TVI and Spanish viewers can watch it on RTS Sport.
