Differing fortunes for Porto and Sporting in European draws

Differing fortunes for Porto and Sporting in European draws

Porto land Basel; Sporting face Wolfsburg 

FC Porto have been drawn against Swiss champions Basel, managed by Portugal legend Paulo Sousa, in the last 16 of the Champions League. 

In the Europa League Sporting landed Bundesliga outfit Wolfsburg. 

 

Paulo Sousa stands between Porto and quarter-finals

Given Porto's possible opponents in the last 16, such as Juventus, Manchester City and PSG, the Dragons will be delighted at being paired with Basel. 

Not that the team coached by Sousa - who played 51 times for the Seleção and won the Champions League twice with two different clubs - can be taken lightly. Basel are the reigning Swiss champions and are currently running away with the league under Sousa. They have also achieved a number of impressive results in recent years in Europe, and knocked Liverpool out of this year's Champions League. 

When the competition resumes next year Porto will play the first leg in Basel on 18 February, with the return match at the Estádio do Dragão on 10 March. Porto coach Julen Lopetegui reacted to the draw by saying "Basel will force FC Porto to be at their best."

Two other sides in the last 16 have Portuguese coaches. José Mourinho's Chelsea were given a tough task as they were drawn against PSG, while Leonardo Jardim's Monaco face Arsenal. 

 

Full Champions League draw

PSG v Chelsea

Manchester City v Barcelona

Bayer Leverkusen v Atletico Madrid

Juventus v Borussia Dortmund

Schalke 04 v Real Madrid 

Shakhtar Donetsk v Bayern Munich

Arsenal v Monaco

Basel v FC PORTO


 

Tough Europa League draw for Sporting

Sporting will play Wolfsburg in the round of 32 of the Europa League.

The German side, for whom Portuguese winger Vieirinha plays, are enjoying a fine season and currently lie second in the Bundesliga.

Sporting will be hoping they achieve similar results to the games against another German side Schalke 04 in the Champions League, when the Lisbon side were unlucky to lose 4-3 in Gelsenkirchen and won the second game 4-2 at the Alvalade. 

Wolfsburg coach Dieter Hecking reacted to the draw by saying: "Sporting were the opponents I wanted." A quote that Sporting coach Marco Silva may like to pin up on the dressing room wall...

The first leg is played in Germany on 19 February, with the return game in Lisbon one week later. 

by Tom Kundert