One of the most highly anticipated clashes of the Europa League playoff round features Porto going head-to-head with Roma in what promises to be a thrilling contest.
Nolan James Feb 12
Porto endured a disappointing Europa League group stage campaign, finishing 18th—far below expectations. Despite facing challenging opponents, the Portuguese club managed only three wins from eight matches, falling short of the level required to be serious contenders in the competition.
The underwhelming performances contributed to the club parting ways with manager Vítor Bruno last month, marking a turbulent season for Porto. Currently sitting third in the Primeira Liga, they trail leaders Sporting CP by eight points and are level with Braga in fourth. While the title seems out of reach, securing a top-three finish remains crucial, making this a defining period for the club.
Martín Anselmi, who arrived from Mexican side Cruz Azul, now leads Porto. The 39-year-old Argentine has no previous European coaching experience, having primarily worked in Latin America. However, his success with Independiente del Valle in winning the 2022 Copa Sudamericana showcases his potential. Anselmi's tenure at Porto has started with one win and two draws in three matches. Though not an explosive start, it has provided some stability.
A victory over Roma would be a significant boost, offering Anselmi a strong foundation to build upon. However, an early exit could put him under pressure before he’s had a chance to make his mark.
Roma also fell short of expectations in the group stage, finishing 15th with 12 points from eight games. Like Porto, the Italian side now faces the risk of an early exit from the tournament they had hoped to challenge for.
It has been a season of upheaval for Roma, already on their third manager of the campaign. Daniele De Rossi and Ivan Jurić were both dismissed, leading to the shock return of Claudio Ranieri for his third stint at the club. Despite skepticism over appointing the 73-year-old, the move has largely paid off. Under Ranieri, Roma have recorded seven wins, three draws, and three losses in his first 13 matches, bringing much-needed stability.
Having lifted their first European trophy in 2021-22 with the UEFA Conference League under José Mourinho, Roma are determined to add a Europa League title to their collection. Despite twice finishing runners-up in this competition, they remain eager to finally go all the way. While drawing Porto in the playoffs is a tough challenge, progressing past this stage would significantly boost their chances of a deep run.
Porto’s recent form has been inconsistent, with just one win from their last five games. Over the weekend, a late equalizer from Danny Namaso secured a 1-1 draw against Sporting CP. That result followed another draw—2-2 against Rio Ave—where Nehuén Pérez and Otávio found the net.
Before that, a narrow 1-0 victory over Maccabi Tel Aviv, thanks to a goal from Nico González, provided some relief. However, prior results included a 1-1 draw with Santa Clara and a disappointing 1-0 loss to Olympiakos. Porto will need to show significant improvement to overcome Roma.
Roma, on the other hand, enter the match in decent form, with three wins, one draw, and one defeat in their last five games. Most recently, a Paulo Dybala penalty secured a 1-0 win over Venezia. However, that followed a 3-1 Coppa Italia loss to Milan and a 1-1 draw with Napoli, where Angeliño rescued a point in stoppage time.
Earlier results included a convincing 2-0 win over Eintracht Frankfurt in the Europa League, with goals from Angeliño and Eldor Shomurodov, and a 2-1 victory over Udinese, thanks to penalties from Lorenzo Pellegrini and Artem Dovbyk.
Roma have struggled away from home in this competition, failing to win in their last five Europa League away matches and securing just three wins in their last 20 road fixtures. However, Porto’s inconsistency means they are not in peak form either. Given Porto’s recent tendency to draw—three in their last four matches—this clash is shaping up to be another closely contested encounter that could end level.
