Our prediction for this Europa League match:
Sparkles will be flying when Anderlecht and Porto square off against each other at Lotto Park in the Europa League round 5. Anderlecht have been scoring goals for fun in the national championship of late, crushing the likes of Cercle Brugge 5-0 and Gent 6-0 and they must be high on confidence ahead of Thursday’s showdown. A man to keep an eye on in the home team will be Denmark striker Kasper Dolberg, who has found his goal-scoring touch of late, while all Thorgan Hazard, Jan Vertonghen, and Majeed Ashimeru remain on the sidelines with injuries.
The Dragons, on the other hand, are on a three-game losing run in all competitions ahead of the trip to Belgium. Sergio Conceicao rested several first-team regulars in the Taca de Portugal defeat to Moreirense, but the former Portugal winger is going to field the best possible side against Anderlecht. Given Porto’s attacking potential, over 2.5 goals betting option should be considered. Top scorer Samu is widely expected to lead the line for the visitors after coming as a substitute against Moreirense.
Highlighted Player (Pepe):
Pepe is a professional footballer who plays for Porto as a defender. The Portuguese international played for Maritimo at the start of his senior career and in 2004 he moved to Porto. After making 64 league appearances for the Dragons, he signed a contract with Real Madrid in 2007 and he quickly established himself as a first-team regular.
Pepe is well known for his hard tackles and referees often show him red card. The Real Madrid centre back often played as a defensive midfielder under Jose Mourinho and it has to be noted that he scored five goals in all competitions in the 2013/2014 La Liga campaign.
The Portuguese footballer won his second Champions League trophy with Real Madrid in the 2015/2016 season and later in 2016 he helped A Selecao win the European Championship trophy. Portugal defeated France in the title game and Pepe played an important role in Fernando Santos’ team in the Euro 2016 final. The Real Madrid defender was born in Maceio, Brazil on 26 February, 1983.
Highlighted Team (Anderlecht):
Founded on 27 May, 1908, Anderlecht are considered one of the oldest clubs in Belgium. The Paars-wit are the dominant force in the Belgian Pro League and in 2014 they won their 33rd domestic trophy. Anderlecht did remarkably well to win the UEFA Super Cup title in 1983, with the team defeating Benfica in the final of the competition.
The Belgian outfit recorded a 1-0 over the Eagles in the first leg, with the two teams playing out a 1-1 draw in the return leg. Anderlecht play their home games at Constant Vanden Stock Stadium, the venue that was opened in 1917. The stadium was renovated in 1983 and current capacity of Anderlecht’s home ground is 28 063.
The Paars-wit have long-standing rivalries with the likes of Standard Liege and Club Brugge, whilst FC Brussels were considered the club’s bitter opponents in the past. The likes of Besnik Hasi, Lucas Biglia, Filip De Wilde and Romelu Lukaku are some of Anderlecht’s notable players.