Porto came into the Europa League as one of the favorites but two rounds later, they are near the bottom of the standings. The former European champion has a lot to make up for and that journey starts with hosting Hoffenheim on Thursday.
Porto and Hoffenheim meet on 24.10.2024, in a clash between two teams with totally different playing styles. The game takes place at Estadio do Dragao.
Porto |
Thursday, 24.10.2024, 15:00 EST | Hoffenheim |
1 | x | 2 |
1,61 | 4,35 | 5,40 |
Porto – Hoffenheim: Initial situation
Porto is in a deep hole after only two games in the Europa League and has no room for any point-dropping. Hoffenheim is traveling West after a huge win this weekend and hopes that the series will continue.
Porto Stats & Form
Porto has been a regular participant in the UEFA Champions League but this season they will have to compete on a lower level. They had a very difficult start of the Europa League season winning only one point in the first two games against Bodo Glimt and Manchester United. In the domestic league, they are doing much better winning 7 of 8 games so far in the season and being in second place after Sporting Lisbon, who is perfect. Porto has won the last two games, 2-1 against Braga in Primiera and 3-0 against Sintrense in the Portugal Cup. Galeno is the top scorer on the team with 9 goals in all competitions while Samu has 7, three of which are in the Europa League.
Hoffenheim Stats & Form
Hoffenheim finished in seventh place in the Bundesliga last season which booked them a place in Europa League for the first time since 2020. They had a solid start of the competition winning a point on the road against Midtyilland and taking all three with a 2-0 win over Dynamo Kyiv. However, things are not going as well in the Bundesliga where “The Kraichgauers” are in 14th place with only two wins in seven games. The last one came this past weekend as Hoffenheim won 3-1 against the bottom team in the league Bochum. Andrej Kramaric is the top scorer for the team in the Bundesliga with 5 goals, followed by Marius Bulter who has four. In the Europa League, Adam Hlozek has hit the net twice.
Porto – Hoffenheim: Head to Head
This will be the first match between Porto and Hoffenheim.
Porto – Hoffenheim: Odds
Porto is the favorite going into this game with the odds of 1,61 in their favor. Chelsea stands at 5,40 while the draw is at 4,35. The total goal line is set at 2.5 with 1,56 for over and 2,53 for under.
Top 3 Betting Odds
Porto – Hoffenheim Betting Tip | Odds |
Porto to win | 1,61 |
HT-FT Porto | 2,32 |
Correct score: 2-0 | 9,00 |
Betting tip and prediction: Porto – Hoffenheim (24.10.2024)
We are used to seeing Porto playing in the Champions League, but after a poor season in Primiera, they are competing in the second tier of European football. It is a fact that the quality of the competitors has grown, but at the same time, “The Dragons” are not as good as they were. Still, many Porto fans are actually happy to see their team in the Europa League since they can attack the title, which wouldn’t be the case if they played in the Champions League. However, things are not going as predicted as Porto has only one point in two games. They were stunned by Bodo Glimt in the first game, even though Porto had an extra man for the majority of the second half. The 3-3 home draw against Manchester United was also a failure since they came back from being 2-0 down, just to allow the Red Devils to equalize in the stoppage time. As it’s said, there comes the sun after the rain, so Porto hopes that this game will be a turning point in the season. They won the last two games in Primiera, which proves their good form, and, more importantly, has no players on the injury list. Unlike them, Hoffenheim has real struggles with injuries, as six players are unavailable for the game in Portugal. Their defensive line is hurt the most as Tim Drexler, David Jurasek, and Pavel Kaderabek are out. In the midfield, Dennis Geiger and Grischa Promel are unavailable, just like striker Mergim Berisha. Hoffenheim’s head coach, Pellegrino Matarazzo, is in a hot seat as the team is struggling in the Bundesliga, and the last win against Bochum literally saved his job. Now Hoeffenheim is facing another big challenge, but it is a fact that with four points so far in the Europa League, they have no reason to be under pressure as the team is traveling to Heidenheim in the next Bundesliga round, which is a game they prioritize. On the other hand, Porto has no room for another mistake, and given the circumstances, this is a game they absolutely need to win.