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

In what will be the inaugural meeting between the two sides, Stuttgart welcome Porto to the MHPArena on Thursday for the first leg of their Europa League round-of-16 tie.

Die Roten secured a 4-2 aggregate victory over Celtic in the playoffs, while the Portuguese visitors gained direct passage to this stage after finishing inside the top eight of the league-phase standings.

Match preview

Having claimed an emphatic 4-1 win in the first leg in Glasgow, it would have taken a major collapse for Stuttgart to lose their playoff tie with Celtic, and indeed a 1-0 defeat in the return fixture proved inconsequential to Die Roten’s progression.

The only blemish from that result is that it remains the sole match in which Sebastian Hoeness’s men have failed to score across their last 11 outings in all competitions (W7, D2, L2), a run that also included a victory over Young Boys in their final league-phase fixture to secure an 11th-place finish in the 36-team standings.

Reaching the competition’s round of 16 for just the second time this century, the 1988-89 finalists - then the UEFA Cup - will continue their quest for a first continental trophy on Thursday and can be optimistic about seizing control of their tie with Porto, buoyed by their strong form at the MHPArena.

Die Roten have won five of their seven competitive matches at the ground since the turn of the year (D1, L1), scoring at least three goals in four of those outings, though manager Hoeness will be seeking greater defensive solidity as Stuttgart have failed to keep a clean sheet in each of their last five continental matches.

There is also a patchy run of form to improve upon, with the Reds failing to win three of their last four matches (D2, L1), including a 2-2 draw at Mainz last Saturday, leaving the Swabians fourth in the Bundesliga table, ahead of fifth-placed Leipzig only on goal difference.

Meanwhile, Porto enter this clash following a 2-2 stalemate in last weekend’s O Classico at Benfica, where Francesco Farioli’s men squandered a two-goal lead as first-half strikes from Victor Froholdt and Oskar Pietuszewski were cancelled out after the interval.

Despite that slip-up, the Dragons remain four points clear at the top of the Primeira Liga table, although the result further exposed their struggles on the road, having also suffered a 1-0 defeat in the first leg of their Taca de Portugal semi-final at Sporting Lisbon five days earlier.

As such, Porto have won just one of their last five away matches (D2, L2), while they are also without a victory in their last three Europa League trips (D2, L1), but the Portuguese giants secured fifth place in the 36-team table following a 3-1 home win over Rangers on matchday eight of the league phase.

That finish ensured the Dragons improved on last season’s campaign, when they were eliminated by Roma in the Europa League playoffs, and they will now aim to reach the competition’s quarter-finals for only the second time since lifting the trophy in 2010-11.

Stuttgart Europa League form:

Stuttgart form (all competitions):

Porto Europa League form:

Porto form (all competitions):

Team News

Stuttgart will once again be without Lazar Jovanovic, who continues to battle a back injury, while Josha Vagnoman could be unavailable for a third successive outing due to a thigh problem.

Bilal El Khannouss missed the weekend’s league match as a result of an accumulation of yellow cards in the Bundesliga but is available to feature on the continental stage this Thursday.

Die Roten have no players on UEFA’s suspension list, although Maximilian Mittelstadt, Angelo Stiller and Deniz Undav are all one booking away from a match ban.

Also walking a disciplinary tightrope for Porto are defenders Dominik Prpic, Jan Bednarek and Alberto Costa, who have each collected two yellow cards in the competition.

On the injury front, the Portuguese visitors will remain without attackers Samu Omorodion and Luuk de Jong, both of whom are sidelined for the remainder of the season with knee injuries.

Long-term absentee Nehuen Perez continues his recovery from an Achilles tendon problem, while Martim Fernandes is a major doubt after being withdrawn in the second half of the weekend’s clash due to physical discomfort.

Stuttgart possible starting lineup:

Nubel; Assignon, Jeltsch, Chabot, Mittelstadt; Karazor, Stiller; El Khannouss, Undav, Leweling; Demirovic

Porto possible starting lineup:

D Costa; A Costa, Bednarek, Kiwior, Zaidu; Froholdt, Varela, Veiga; Pepe, Gul, Gomes

We say: Stuttgart 2-1 Porto

Both sides have been somewhat unconvincing in recent outings, but Stuttgart’s strong home record could prove decisive, particularly with Porto struggling on their travels.

While Die Roten have been an explosive attacking force at the MHPArena, they face a Porto side renowned for defensive organisation, meaning the contest may not produce a flurry of goals even if both teams possess enough quality to find the net.

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