Anderlecht has been in impressive form in the Europa League, earning 10 points from their first four matches.
The Belgian side started the competition with wins over Ferencvaros (2-1), Real Sociedad (2-1), and Ludogorets (2-0), before drawing 1-1 with Rigas FC in their most recent match.
This puts them in a strong position in 4th place in the group, with a good chance of advancing to the knockout rounds in February.
In the Belgian Pro League, Anderlecht is also performing well, currently in 4th place. They’ve had commanding victories over Kortrijk (4-0) and Cercle Brugge (5-0), and will look to continue their strong form in their next match against La Gantoise, with hopes of securing a top-three finish in the league.
On the other hand, FC Porto has had a disappointing Europa League campaign, sitting in 22nd place in their group. They began with a 3-2 loss to Bodo/Glimt, followed by a 3-3 draw with Manchester United and a 2-0 win over Hoffenheim. However, they suffered a 2-1 defeat to Lazio recently.
Domestically, Porto is trailing in the Portuguese title race, 6 points behind leaders Sporting, despite holding 2nd place. They also endured a heavy 4-1 loss to Benfica and will be hoping to bounce back in their upcoming cup match against Moreirense.
Anderlecht is dealing with multiple injuries to key players, including former Belgian internationals Jan Vertonghen and Thorgan Hazard, as well as defenders Augustinsson and midfielders Ashimeru and Dendoncker.
Nevertheless, they have in-form striker Kasper Dolberg, a former Nice player, who has scored 8 goals in the league and 1 in the Europa League this season.
FC Porto is also facing injury concerns, with defender Ivan Marcano and midfielder Marko Grujić unavailable. Despite this, they can rely on their offensive duo of Spanish forward Aghehowa and Brazilian winger Galeno, who have both netted 8 league goals this season.
Aghehowa has also scored 4 times in the Europa League. Additionally, players like Nico González and Pepê, who have scored 3 goals each, could prove to be dangerous.
Prediction
Given Porto’s struggles in the Europa League and their recent poor form, Anderlecht is likely to come out on top in this match, even though the Belgian side has also faced some challenges.
Anderlecht’s strong home form should give them the upper hand in this encounter.
Prediction: Anderlecht 2-1 FC Porto.
