FC Porto vs Nottingham Forest predictions: Farioli's Dragons to take down Forest
Steve Davies
Primeira Liga leaders Porto drew 2-2 with Famalicao on Saturday
Nottingham Forest's last game was a 3-0 Premier League win at Spurs
Recommended bet: FC Porto to win
Nottingham Forest will be looking to win three in a row for the first time since November when they visit FC Porto for the first leg of their Europa League quarter-final.
Forest, under ex-Porto head coach Vitor Pereira, travel well-rested, having not played since February 22nd, when they won 3-0 at Tottenham to improve their prospects of staying in the Premier League.
That remains their priority, though they will at least be confident that they can get a positive result at the Estadio do Dragao where Porto are a formidable force.
The latest FC Porto vs Nottingham Forest odds are available on LiveScore Bet
Team news
Forward Rodrigo Mora is a doubt for the hosts after limping out of his side's 2-2 draw with Familicao on Saturday.
Striker Chris Wood, out since October is back in training for Forest, but Jair Cunha remains sidelined.
Omari Hutchinson is a doubt and, critically, England midfielder Elliot Anderson is suspended.
The stats
Porto have played five home ties in the Europa League this season and won all five.
Forest's last three away results are a 2-2 draw at Manchester City followed by wins at Midtjylland (2-1) and Tottenham (3-0)
The Portuguese giants have played 22 matches at their Stadio do Dragao home this season, winning 18 and losing just once.
Forest beat Porto 2-0 at the City Ground on Matchday 3 back in October thanks to penalties from Morgan Gibbs-White and Igor Jesus. They have been to Portugal since, however, and lost 1-0 at Braga.
The latest FC Porto vs Nottingham Forest odds are available on LiveScore Bet
Prediction
Back-to-back away wins, at Midtjylland in this competition and Spurs in the Premier League, will have given Forest belief they can at the very least avoid defeat at Porto in the first leg of this intriguing Europa League quarter-final.
There is no doubt that Pereira has brought some composure and organisation to Forest and they have beaten Porto once this season, 2-0, albeit at the City Ground and early on in the league phase.
But it is also worth pointing out that Forest have failed to win 10 of their last 13 and are tackling a Porto side who are five points clear at the top of the Primeira Liga.
Francesco Farioli's men have played five home ties in Europe this season and won the lot, most recently 2-0 against Stuttgart, who are flying high in the Bundesliga.
Indeed, they have lost just once at home all season long and that was in the domestic cup, winning 18 of their 22 matches.
A few weeks back Porto would have been odds-on for this and it may pay not to be swayed by Forest's recent upturn, especially as they are without their dynamic England midfielder Anderson.
