Porto face the toughest challenge among all participants in the fourth round of the Europa League – an away game against group stage leaders Lazio. For a team sitting 15th and conceding two goals per match, this is indeed a daunting task.
Lazio have been unstoppable since October 24 and continued their winning streak after the last Europa League round against Twente (2:0). In Serie A, they defeated Genoa (3:0) at home and Como (5:1) away. It was a bit more challenging against Cagliari, whom Lazio overcame thanks to a penalty by Mattia Zaccagni in the 76th minute. In that match, Nuno Tavares, who has the most assists in Serie A (8), was absent due to suspension. He has always been on the bench in Europa League games. It will be interesting to see if the fullback will feature against his compatriots.
Porto trail league leaders Sporting in the Primeira Liga, but otherwise, everything is going well for them: five consecutive clean sheet wins, including a victory over Hoffenheim in the Europa League (2:0), and a crucial win over domestic rivals Braga (2:1). This season, Porto have won four away matches, all against lower-tier teams, but couldn't overcome Sporting (0:2) in Portugal or Bodø/Glimt (2:3) in the Europa League.
The Romans are in similar form: this autumn they have secured 10 wins in 11 matches, with only Juventus managing a narrow home victory against them (1:0). Porto have very little chance of even drawing, so backing a victory for the hosts is not considered a risk.
