Preview: Porto vs Nice – prediction, team news, lineups

Porto aim to get their Europa League campaign back on track as they welcome struggling Nice to the Estadio do Dragao on Thursday for the first meeting between the two sides.

The Dragons are without a win in their last two games in the competition (D1, L1) and will look to return to winning ways against a team that has lost all its matches in the league stage this season.

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match preview

Porto began the Europa season with wins via last-gasp winners in their opening two fixtures against Hamburg (1–0) and Red Star Belgrade (2–1), but at no point in their last few continental fixtures did the Dragons look assured of maximum points.

The Blue and Whites suffered their first defeat of the campaign on matchday three, losing 2–0 to Nottingham Forest at the City Ground, while Borja Sainz’s strike could not inspire a comeback win in Utrecht, even as the hosts were reduced to 10 men shortly after the 24-year-old forward’s leveller.

Despite finishing outside the top eight – now 14th and one point behind – it is hard to imagine a side failing to secure automatic entry into the knockouts with a tough run in 2025-26, with Porto winning 14 of their 17 games (D2, L1) in all competitions this season.

The above three points are clear Primeira Liga summitThe Dragons also progressed to the next round of the Portuguese Cup after beating lower league Cintrense 3-0 at the weekend, making it six wins in seven matches in the Dragão (D1) this season.

An impressive home record of seven wins in their last 11 fixtures (D3, L1) in the Europa group stage/league stage also suggests that Francesco Farioli’s men are capable of securing a win here as the 36-year-old manager faces his former club.

Farioli was at the helm of the French side in 2023-24, a campaign that remains in the memory of Nice fans for good reason after guiding it to fifth place in Ligue 1 and a Europa spot.

After an early exit last season, Le Gym look set for another league stage exit after failing to pick up a single point in their opening four matches following 2–1 defeats to Roma, Fenerbahce and Celta Vigo, as well as a 3–1 defeat to Freiburg on the fourth matchday.

One of only two teams to lose all four fixtures in the Europa campaign, Frank Heise’s side sit second from bottom in the 36-team standings and have now gone 14 main-draw European matches without a win (D4, L10), equaling the worst ever performance by a French side.

Ending this poor run would also halt a four-game losing streak in all competitions, the most recent being a humiliating 5-1 home defeat to Marseille at the weekend, which left Les Jims in ninth place. league 1 table,

To say the least, Nice’s away form has been poor, having lost seven of their nine games this season (W1, D1), meaning that even a point at Dragao – even if it might slightly alter their position in the league stage standings – would still represent progress.

Porto Europa League form:

Porto form (all competitions):

Good Europa League form:

Good form (all competitions):

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team news

Farioli received encouraging news from Porto’s medical department this week, with Jan Bednarek and Victor Froholdt – both absent in the previous match – making progress in conditioning training and expected to be available for Thursday’s game.

The treatment room should feel a little lighter, as striker Luuk de Jong also returned from a knee injury with a 15-minute cameo last time out, although Nehuen Perez – who is not yet registered with the Europa squad – continues rehabilitation.

First-choice goalkeeper Diogo Costa is expected to be in goal again, while Samu Omorodiyan could once again lead the line, although Deniz Gul also has a strong chance of keeping that position after scoring from the bench against Citron.

The latest addition to an already long injury list is attacker Sofiane Diop, who was forced off in Nice’s humiliating defeat against Marseille at the weekend, leaving the forward a doubt for Thursday.

Les Jims have struggled with fitness problems in defense this season, with Youssef Ndayishimiye and Mohamed Abdelmonem still out with cruciate ligament problems, Moise Bombito sidelined with a lower leg problem and Dante missing the game with a knee problem.

Right-back Jonathan Clough returned to continental competition after serving a suspension in the previous round due to a red card received on the third day of the match.

Despite Les Jim’s difficulties, Mohammed-Ali Cho has scored in three of his last four games, including a consolation last time out, and he will be relied upon heavily in attack here.

Porto probable starting lineup:

D.Costa; A Costa, Bednarek, Kivior, Moura; Eustachio, Rosario, Veiga; sanz, aghehova, pepe

Good probable starting lineup:

Diouf; Mendi, Bah, Bard; Clowes, Sanson, Vanhoutte, Abdi; boga; Carlos, Cho

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We say: Porto 3-1 good

Nice’s troubles this season have largely been defensive, with Les Gimmes managing to find the net exactly once in each of their league stage games while losing all those fixtures, and expect a similar result here against a Porto side that has rarely faltered in the 2025-26 campaign.

Please click here for data analysis of the most probable outcomes of this match, scoreline and more.

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