Our betting expert has three tips for the Europa League clash between Porto and Manchester United in Portugal on Thursday (kick-off 8pm). Scroll down for the analysis behind his selections.
Porto vs Manchester United tips
- Porto to win @ 7/4 with BetMGM
- Over 11.5 match corners @ 29/20 with BetMGM
- Bet builder – over 1.5 Nico Gonzalez shots, over 3.5 cards and over 23.5 match shots @ 14/5 with BetMGM
Hosts can blast through Ten Hag’s rickety rearguard
Porto threw the kitchen sink at Norwegian outfit Bodo/Glimt in their Europa League opener all to no avail, as they lost 3-2.
But if they show the same attacking intent against a shambolic Manchester United at a rocking Estadio do Dragao, expect the Portuguese heavyweights to come up with the points.
The Reds are in yet another crisis after Sunday’s crushingly poor 3-0 home loss to Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League and getting out of the country could be a blessing for United boss Erik ten Hag, whose future at Old Trafford is hanging by a thread.
But there will be no respite at Porto, who have won all four of their home matches this season, culminating in Sunday’s 4-0 romp past Arouca.
United are now without a win in three and Ten Hag has a horrible juggling act to perform less than three days before his side head to Aston Villa in the Premier League.
His difficulty is that he has to take this tie seriously after only drawing 1-1 at home to Twente in the first game, and can ill afford to preside over another poor display or he may not be going to Villa Park anyway.
Porto, like United, are playing catch-up after losing 3-2 at Bodo/Glimt, where they had 28 shots, 17 more than their Norwegian hosts.
Seven-goal Galeno and Samu Omorodion, who has found the net in each of his past four appearances, pose the greatest threat to a defence that looked all at sea at the weekend and is short of confidence.
Porto v Manchester United tip 1: Porto @ 7/4 with BetMGM
United to help corner a profit
Porto racked up nine corners in defeat at Bodo/Glimt on the same night as United were hitting double figures with 10 against Twente.
Both teams, averaging around 6.5 corners per game in their domestic leagues, are under pressure to be positive after disappointing opening-night results.
Two-way match corners have been pitched at 10.5 but take a punt on over 11.5 for a bigger reward at 29/20.
Porto v Manchester United tip 2: Over 11.5 match corners @ 29/20 with BetMGM
Nifty Nico to test Onana
The Reds are conceding more than 12 shots per match in the Premier League – and however they fare in Portugal on Thursday, they know questions will be asked of an increasingly untrustworthy back line.
Porto piled up 28 efforts in their loss at Bodo/Glimt last week, with Spanish midfielder Nico Gonzalez contributing five of them.
He followed up with five more in the weekend 4-0 success over Arouca. Gonzalez is averaging 2.3 shots per game in all competitions and has three goals to his name. The 22-year-old can land odds of 19/20 that he will have over 1.5 shots against United.
Use that as the first component of a three-leg builder that works out at 14/5 with BetMGM.
Leg two is over 3.5 cards. Porto had a couple of cautions against Bodo/Glimt, and United just one against Twente, but they are the third worst-behaved side in the Premier League with 20 cards in six matches.
Finally back over 23.5 match shots, something Porto did on their own at Bodo/Glimt, in what should be an open affair.
Porto v Manchester United tip 3: Bet builder – over 1.5 Nico Gonzalez shots, over 3.5 cards and over 23.5 match shots @ 14/5 with BetMGM
Porto vs Manchester United odds
- Porto @ 7/4 with BetMGM
- Draw @ 23/10 with BetMGM
- Manchester United @ 6/4 with BetMGM
Odds, correct at the time of publication, are subject to change.