Salzburg vs Porto: Who will kick off the new Europa League season with a win?
In the opening round of the UEFA Europa League, Salzburg will face Porto on Thursday, September 25, with kickoff set for 21:00 CET. Here’s my take on picking the winner in this clash.
Salzburg vs Porto: Match preview
Salzburg reached the Champions League playoff round, but stumbled against Brugge, losing 2-4. Now, the Austrian side shifts their focus to the Europa League. Their start in the new Austrian Bundesliga season has been less than stellar: seven matches, just 11 points. Three wins, two draws, and two defeats. The team has suffered losses in recent fixtures. At the moment, Salzburg sit fifth in the table, trailing the leaders by six points and just a single point off second place.
Porto finished third in the Portuguese league, earning a direct spot in the Europa League group stage and skipping qualification. That allowed the Dragons to hit the ground running domestically: six matches, six wins. Only once did Porto settle for a narrow 1-0 victory; in the rest, they found the net more than once. Eighteen points from six rounds with a goal difference of 15:1. Porto also currently boasts the best defense in the league, leading their nearest rival by three points.
Match facts and H2H
- Salzburg are winless in three straight matches and have lost their last two.
- Porto are unbeaten in nine consecutive games, including a streak of eight consecutive victories.
- Porto have scored at least once in ten matches in a row.
- Salzburg have failed to keep a clean sheet in their last four fixtures.
- This will be the first-ever head-to-head meeting between these clubs.
Probable lineups
- Salzburg: Schlager; Lainer, Schuster, Rasmussen, Kratzig; Bidstrup, Diabate, Kitano, Kjærgaard; Ratkov, Vertessen
- Porto: Costa; Rosario, Bednarek, Kiwior, Moura; Fröholdt, Varela, Veiga; Pepe, Samu, Sainz
Prediction
Porto are in sensational form and clearly aiming for yet another positive result. Their opponents have had a tougher time recently, but the home crowd and the motivation to start their European campaign on the right foot could give Salzburg a boost. My tip: both teams to score in this match.
