Preview: Porto vs Malmo - prediction, team news, lineups

Porto have the chance to strengthen their position in the top eight as they welcome struggling Malmo to Estadio do Dragao for matchday six of the Europa League league phase.

The Dragons currently sit eighth in the 36-team table after collecting 10 points from their opening five fixtures, while the Swedish visitors are third from bottom with just one point to their name.

Match preview

Porto left nothing to chance as they outclassed bottom-placed Nice at the Dragao two weeks ago, putting their top-eight ambitions back on track.

Francesco Farioli’s men, who had won their opening two games of the Europa campaign, failed to record victory in the next two rounds, losing to Nottingham Forest before settling for a draw at Utrecht.

However, the next continental outing saw the Portuguese side put three unreplied goals past their French visitors, courtesy of a first-half brace from Gabri Veiga before Samu Omorodion sealed the victory from the spot.

Back-to-back games at Dragao present an opportunity for the Blue and White to strengthen their grip in the top eight while also extending an impressive home record in the Europa group stage/league phase; Porto have won eight of their last 12 such outings (D3, L1).

Farioli’s men have also been otherwise flawless at the ground this season, with seven victories in nine matches across all competitions (D1, L1), though their most recent outing ended in defeat to Vitoria de Guimaraes in Taca de Liga.

Porto bounced back with a 2-0 triumph away at Tondela at the weekend, with the result extending their lead at the Primeira Liga summit to five points.

Malmo, on the other hand, enter this encounter with fresher legs; their most recent outing came two weeks ago in a 3-0 defeat against Forest at the City Ground in the Europa League.

First-half goals from Ryan Yates and Arnaud Kalimuendo, followed by a Nikola Milenkovic effort after the interval, saw the Swedish outfit suffer back-to-back defeats in the competition for the second time, having lost to Panathinaikos on matchday four.

Malmo had lost their opening two games of the league phase campaign to Ludogorets and Vitoria Plzen, with a goalless draw against Dinamo Zagreb being the only game from which they have managed to take something.

Five points off the playoff spots, Di Blae risk elimination if they fail to secure a win on Thursday, while taking maximum points could be a tall order for a side that has managed just one victory in their last six outings across all competitions (D2, L3).

That solitary success came at home against GAIS on the final day of the Allsvenskan, which saw Malmo finish sixth in the Swedish top-flight standings, meaning their only “realistic” chance of European football in 2026-27 hinges on the near-impossible task of winning the Europa trophy.

Following a disappointing season, Di Blae are already looking ahead, having announced Miguel Angel Ramirez as their new head coach for next term, with interim boss Anes Mravac set to step aside once their Europa League journey concludes.

Porto Europa League form:

Porto form (all competitions):

Malmo Europa League form:

Malmo form (all competitions):

Team News

Porto’s medical department has delivered unwelcome news for Farioli, who is set to lose Luuk de Jong for the rest of the season following a contusion in the striker’s left knee.

De Jong will join long-term absentee Nehuen Perez in the treatment room, though the latter is not registered in the Europa squad for now.

Scoring two goals in his last three appearances – including the second against Tondela – William Gomes could be given his first start in the Europa League since matchday two, when he netted the decider after his winner off the bench in the opening fixture.

Left-back Arnor Sigurdsson is expected to continue his spell in Malmo’s treatment room as he progresses in his recovery from a knee injury.

Meanwhile, midfielder Otto Rosengren could be absent for a second straight outing, having missed the previous fixture following a half-time substitution against GAIS.

Porto possible starting lineup:

D Costa; Fernandes, Bednarek, Kiwior, Zaidu; Eustaquio, Rosario, Mora; Gomes, Samu, Sainz

Malmo possible starting lineup:

Ellborg; Stryger, Jansson, Djuric, Busanello; Karlsson, Busuladzic, Skogmar; Ekong, Haksabanovic, Gudjohnsen

We say: Porto 3-0 Malmo

Porto boast a very strong defensive record at home, having kept seven clean sheets in 10 games this season, making it a daunting task for Malmo’s blunt attack.

The visitors have scored just twice in their five league phase matches, while conceding 10 at the other end, which suggests they will struggle against the hosts’ formidable frontline, so a comfortable victory for the Dragons is expected.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.