20th Apr 2015 | Champions League
Porto Set To Seal The Deal
It's disrespectful to Porto that the bookies still see this tie as a 50-50 proposition. The 2004 champions should be strong favourites with a 3-1 advantage.
Before looking at the odds I told myself that I wouldn’t be surprised if Bayern were still only about 2/1 to progress, because of their reputation. However I was amazed to find they are only 5/6 with some firms despite trailing 3-1!
This leaves Porto as a best price 10/11 (Skybet) to qualify for the semi-finals and given the match status, it’s the right bet to take. Guardiola may have a formidable team, but the Portuguese are a lot better than many have appreciated this season.
The first leg was not a fluke. Porto qualified emphatically from Group H with 14 points before sweeping aside Basel 5-1 on aggregate.
They remain unbeaten in the competition this season and have matched Bayern’s tally of 24 goals. In Martinez, Brahimi and Quaresma they carry a considerable goal threat which could strike again at the Allianz Arena.
If Guardiola had his best players available the outcome might be different but the absence of Robben and Ribery amongst others looks key; even Schweinsteiger is being rushed back to action. Porto can claim a major scalp on Tuesday night.
Odds correct at time of publishing: 18:41 20th Apr, 2015 but subject to change
