Arsenal vs Porto betting tips

Arsenal, beaten finalists in last season's Champions League, need at least a draw against Porto when they clash with the Portuguese side at the Estádio do Dragão on Wednesday evening if they are to guarantee progression to the knockout stages this term. As things stand in Group G, Arsenal and Porto are set go through. But if CSKA Moscow beat Hamburg, as is widely predicted, then one of the two sides will be playing Uefa Cup football here on in. So will it be Au revoir to Arsene Wenger and his charges or Adeus to Jesualdo Ferreira's men? It's going to be tough for the Gunners. They have the advantage of a superior goal difference, meaning that a non-score or score-draw of any sort would suffice, whereas Porto need to win to be sure of a place in the next round, so tactically this match will be interesting. If history is to repeat itself, then Arsenal's Champions League adventure looks set to continue. Twice the north London club have played on Portugese soil and managed to secure a draw on each occasion, firstly a stalemate against Sporting Lisbon during the victorious 1970 Fairs Cup campaign, and then when playing out a 1-1 draw against Benfica in this tournament in 1991. Furthermore, Arsenal demonstrated their superiority over Porto when outpointing the current Portugese Division 1 leaders by two goals to nil at the Emirates in September. And Wenger and his players received a timely confidence booster with an emphatic, albeit somewhat controversial, 3-0 victory over arch enemies Spurs in their north London derby on Saturday. The absence of Thierry Henry is obviously a major negative for the Gunners, but as they proved at the weekend, they are not a side about one player, and in the shape of Robin van Persie, Emmanuel Adebayor and Julio Baptista they possess three first-rate strikers more than capable of producing match-winning performances. Probably even more debilitating than Henry's absence is the injury that William Gallas recently incurred, while Lauren's continued spell on the sidelines hasn't helped much either, as Arsenal's defence is threadbare, and they're currently relying on a young set of players that, with the exception of Kolo Toure, lack experience at this level. However, Gilberto Silva's presence in midfield ensures that a watertight barrier between the middle of the park and Arsenal's defence will be formed and, despite the obvious threat posed by the likes of Postiga, Lopez and Moraes from the home team, with the Brazilian's leadership I reckon that the Premiership side can repel any raids that the home side deliver. All things considered, I fancy the visitors to go a step further than they actually need to in this match and win it, not just end honours even - Porto's home advantage is being overplayed in my opinion. At 10/3 with bet365, a couple of quid on Arsenal in the match result market looks the way to go. Verdict - 1.50pts Arsenal in the match result market @ 10/3 ( bet365) #1 Betfair Bonus £25 Free Bet.#2 Ladbrokes £25 Free Bet.#3 Paddypower Bonus £20 Free Bet.