Our prediction for this Champions League match:
Bosuilstadion will host Wednesday’s football game between Antwerp and Porto, the two teams who were beaten by Shakhtar Donetsk and Barcelona in their second group game. Antwerp do not seem to be competitive at this level and given their shaky defence, home win should not be considered. To make things even worse for the Belgian outfit, talented midfielder Mandela Keita limped off with injury in a 3-2 loss to Charleroi at the weekend.
The Dragons, on the other hand, will not have a better chance than this to return to winning ways in Group H. Porto are more of a team than Antwerp and we predict that the visitors are going to showcase their worth on the field. All Pepe, Zaidu Sanusi, Ivan Marcano, and Gabriel Veron should miss out through injuries for the visiting team, while Iran striker Mehdi Taremi returns to the starting XI after he was rested in the Taca de Portugal win over Vilar de Perdizes.
Highlighted Player (Toni Martinez):
Born in Barrio del Progreso, Spain, on June 30, 1997, Toni Martinez is a forward who plays for Primeira Liga side Famalicao. Martinez is a product of Real Murcia football school, but in 2013 he moved to Valencia youth academy.
After scoring two goals in 16 appearances for Valencia B, the Spaniard signed a deal with West Ham United in April 2016 for a fee of around £2.4 million. However, he did not see any game action in the Premier League with the Hammers as he was immediately sent on loan to Oxford United.
Toni Martinez played for the likes of Real Valladolid, Rayo Majadahonda, and Lugo on loan as well before signing a three-year deal with Famalicao in the summer of 2019. He made his debut with the Azuis e Brancos on August 3, 2019, in a 2-0 home defeat to Covilha in the Taca da Portugal. Toni Martinez has two caps with the Spain U19 team.
Highlighted Team (Antwerp):
Founded back in 1880, Antwerp is one of the oldest clubs in Belgium. The Great Old welcome their rivals at Bosuilstadion, the venue with the capacity of 16,144 people. Antwerp are well known for their red home kits, with the team wearing white shirts and white jerseys when playing on the travels.
Over the years Antwerp have been trying to close the gap between Belgian giants Anderlecht and Club Brugge, but they have yet to win the title in the recent history. The Great Old clinched their first domestic trophy back in 1929, with the team repeating the success two years later. The third and the fourth titles came in 1944 and 1957 respectively.
Beerschot A.C. are considered the club’s fiercest rivals, but they have a rivalry with Club Brugge as well. The club chiefs had a long-term partnership with famous English club Manchester United in the past, with Antwerp taking young footballers on loan to Old Trafford.