Arsenal have a first-leg deficit to overcome as Porto travel to north London defending a 1-0 advantage in their Uefa Champions League round of 16 contest on Tuesday.
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Bidding to end a record run of seven successive exits at this stage, the Gunners looked to have done enough to earn a goalless draw at the Estádio do Dragão on 21 February only for Galeno – whose side have not progressed to the quarterfinals since 2020/21 – to curl in a fine winner four minutes into added time.
The Gunners, in their first Champions League campaign for seven seasons, lost in the last 16 in every campaign between 2010/11 and 2016/17, their last aggregate victory at this juncture coming at Porto's expense in 2009/10 – when, as now, they lost away in the first leg.
Arsenal are in the round of 16 for the 15th time, one more than Porto and behind only Real Madrid (21), Bayern München (20), Barcelona (18) and Chelsea (17). The London club's nine losses at this stage is a Champions League record.
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— Arsenal (@Arsenal) March 12, 2024
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Mikel Arteta's side picked up 13 points in this season's group stage to finish four above runners-up PSV Eindhoven in Group B. Porto managed only one point fewer in Group H but missed out on top spot by virtue of their head-to-head record against Barcelona, who beat them twice.
MATCH FACTS
Arsenal have won all three of their home meetings with FC Porto in all competitions by an aggregate score of 11-0, most recently a 5-0 win at the Emirates Stadium in March 2010.
Porto have won just one of their 23 away games against English sides in all European competition (D3 L19). However, that sole victory came in Spain against Chelsea in April 2021 (1-0), with the Portuguese side winless in all 22 such visits to England.
Arsenal have been eliminated from nine of their 10 previous Uefa Champions League knockout stage ties in which they’ve lost the first leg. However, the one exception did come against FC Porto in 2009-10 (1-2 away, 5-0 home), which was also the last time they progressed past the round of 16 in the competition.
FC Porto have progressed from three and been eliminated from three of their previous six Uefa Champions League knockout stage ties in which they’ve won the first leg. They’ve never won both legs of a knockout tie in the competition before.
Arsenal are looking to reach the Uefa Champions League quarterfinal for the first time since 2009-10. They’ve been eliminated from the round of 16 more than any other side (9 – FC Porto and Real Madrid at 8), including each of their last seven appearances in the competition.
Arsenal have lost each of their last five home games in the knockout stages of the Uefa Champions League, with each of these coming in the round of 16. They’d only lost two of their previous 17 such matches in the competition (W10 D5).
FC Porto have won just two of their 22 away games in the knockout stages of the Uefa Champions League, with both of those victories coming in Spain – against Deportivo de La Coruña in the 2003-04 semifinal, and against Chelsea in Seville in the 2020-21 quarterfinal.
Arsenal have won all three of their Uefa Champions League home games this season by an aggregate score of 12-0. They’ve never won four in a row at home without conceding in the competition.
Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka has both scored and assisted a goal in all three of his Uefa Champions League home appearances so far. The only player to do so in four consecutive home games in the competition is Karim Benzema, who did so in the 2011-12 campaign for Real Madrid.
Galeno has been involved in eight goals in six Uefa Champions League appearances for FC Porto this season (five goals, three assists), netting the winner against Arsenal in the first leg. Jackson Martínez (2014-15 quarterfinal v Bayern Munich) and Jardel (1999-00 quarterfinal v Bayern Munich) are the only players to score in both legs of a knockout stage tie in the competition for the club.
SHOOTOUT RECORDS
Arsenal's record in five Uefa penalty shoot-outs is W2 L3:
- 4-5 v Valencia, 1979/80 European Cup Winners' Cup final
- 3-2 v Sampdoria, 1994/95 Uefa Cup Winners' Cup semifinal
- 1-4 v Galatasaray, 1999/2000 Uefa Cup final
- 7-6 v Roma, 2008/09 Uefa Champions League round of 16
- 3-5 v Sporting CP, 2022/23 Uefa Europa League round of 16
Porto's record in three Uefa penalty shoot-outs is W1 L2:
- 3-5 v Sampdoria, 1994/95 Uefa Cup Winners' Cup quarterfinal
- 8-7 v Once Caldas, 2004 European/South American Cup
- 1-4 v Schalke, 2007/08 Uefa Champions League round of 16