Porto Look to Punish Struggling Nice in First-Ever European Clash
So, this matchup between Porto and Nice is shaping up to be one of those games where the tone feels almost set before kickoff — but in football, you never really know, right? Still, everything leading up to this first-ever meeting between the clubs points toward Porto stepping onto the pitch at the Estádio do Dragão with confidence, control, and a real chance to steady their Europa League campaign.
Porto started this European run with two dramatic wins — both sealed late, which already tells you how resilient this side can be. But things got shaky after that. A 2-0 loss to Nottingham Forest knocked them off balance, and even though Borja Sainz struck back at Utrecht, they couldn’t turn that into a win, especially frustrating since Utrecht went down to ten men right after the equaliser. Even with that dip, it’s hard to ignore how strong Porto have been overall this season. Fourteen wins from seventeen matches across competitions is no joke, and they’re sitting comfortably at the top of the Primeira Liga. They even cruised through their latest Portuguese Cup test, winning 3-0. At home? They’ve been close to unstoppable — six wins and a draw in their last seven outings at the Dragão.
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All this makes the challenge ahead for Nice even steeper. Their Europa League run has been tough to watch — four matches, four defeats, conceding in bunches, and never quite finding a rhythm. They’ve scored once in each game but still lost all of them. Their European drought now stretches to fourteen matches without a win, equalling the worst run by any French club. And just to pile onto the pressure, they’re coming off a brutal 5-1 loss at home to Marseille. Their away form hasn’t offered any comfort either; only one win on the road all season.
Injuries haven’t helped Nice either, with several defenders missing and Sofiane Diop doubtful after hobbling off last weekend. They will, however, rely heavily on Mohamed-Ali Cho, who has at least found the net consistently lately. Porto, meanwhile, are getting some positive updates — Jan Bednarek, Victor Froholdt, and Luuk de Jong are all nearing full fitness again, and Diogo Costa should be back in goal.
When you look at the lineups, the momentum, and the form of both squads, this feels like a match where Porto will try to grab control early and never let go. Nice will need something close to perfect just to stay competitive.
And honestly, the expectation going in is pretty straightforward: Porto are favoured, and a win for them seems the likely outcome. A lively game could be on the cards, but on balance, it’s hard to see anything other than Porto taking this one.
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