After a disappointing defeat to Olympiacos (0:1), Porto have fallen outside the top 24 in the Europa League group stage. Their match against Maccabi Tel Aviv is crucial—not only to break their poor run of form but also to secure their first victory under the new coaching staff.
Maccabi Tel Aviv also failed to get the result they wanted last week, suffering a defeat away to Bodø/Glimt (1:3). Despite taking an early lead, the Israeli side conceded three unanswered goals and allowed 2.90 xGA with 14 shots against them. Their defensive struggles have been evident throughout the competition—having conceded 16 goals in seven matches, only Qarabağ (17) and Dynamo Kyiv (18) have worse records.
A managerial change at Porto had been brewing since the start of 2025, with the team failing to win a single match in any competition this month. Their 1:1 draw against Santa Clara at the weekend was particularly frustrating, as they missed two penalties (both taken by Wenderson Galeno) and had a staggering xG advantage of 3.19 to 0.05. Martín Anselmi’s new coaching staff is eager to start with a strong statement, and they have a favourable opponent to do so.
Monday’s Israeli league clash between Maccabi Tel Aviv and Maccabi Haifa was abandoned due to crowd trouble, leaving the Tel Aviv squad in a difficult psychological state ahead of Thursday’s fixture. Porto should secure a much-needed victory.
