Arouca v FC Porto

Arouca vs Porto Preview

Arouca registered a third league win on the trot in the Portuguese top flight last weekend with a 2-1 win away from home at Portimonense which has helped lift the hosts up into the top half of the Portuguese top flight table into eighth place while Porto extended their unbeaten run in the Primeira Liga to six games overall after a 0-0 draw at home with Rio Ave.

Arouca had started this season's Primeira Liga campaign in disastrous fashion as the hosts had collected just the single win from their opening 11 matches overall which came in the form of a 4-3 home win against Estoril on the opening day of the domestic top flight season but this sequence of results also included slipping to no fewer than seven defeats in the process as well.

A dismal seven-match losing streak from mid-September through to mid-November had placed Arouca in early trouble down near the foot of the Primeira Liga table but the hosts have lost just two further games from their subsequent nine matches overall.

Defeats to Benfica and Vitoria Guimaraes have been more than made up for by picking up six wins, two of which have been achieved on home soil with wins against Gil Vicente and Vizela.

Porto occupy third spot in the Primeira Liga table and four points behind second placed Sporting Lisbon but the visitors know they can reduce the deficit down to just a potential single point if results go their way over the weekend and if they can grab all three points at the Estádio Municipal de Arouca on Monday night.

The visitors bring a solid looking six-match unbeaten run into Monday night's encounter against the basement dwellers, Arouca, and includes collecting four wins within this recent period which have seen Porto gain important victories against the likes of Chaves, Braga, Moreirense and Farense respectively.

The bigger picture shows Porto have been handed just three defeats out of their last 32 matches overall in the domestic top flight which must place Sergio Conceicao's side in the box-seat to take the spoils in this upcoming tussle.

In addition, Porto have produced a consistent sequence of results away from home as well in the Primeira Liga as the visitors have lost just twice in their previous 25 outings on the road, picking up no fewer than 18 wins in the process.

Arouca v Porto Verdict

Previous exchanges between Arouca and Porto have certainly been in the visitors' favour as Porto are unbeaten in each of their last eight meetings in addition to winning seven of these previous encounters, and the visitors look the more likely to take all three points in Monday night's clash at the Estádio Municipal de Arouca as well.

Therefore, our main bet will be Porto win @ 1.50

Other side bets worth considering:

Under 2.5 goals @ 2.00

Correct Score: Porto 1-0 @ 7.00