Porto vs. Basel preview, 2015 Champions League: No Jackson Martinez for the Dragons

This looked like the closest Champions League tie when it was made, and it’s still the closest heading into the second leg. FC Porto have a slight advantage after grabbing a draw and an away goal in Switzerland, but FC Basel will still like their chances to spring a minor upset and propel themselves into the quarterfinals.

Both teams have been in excellent form domestically since the first leg of this tie, winning their two games by the exact same margins. Basel recorded a 3-0 win over Thun this weekend and a 1-0 victory against Vaduz two weeks ago, while Porto have won their last two games by the same scorelines, just in reverse. However, they’ve done it against much more impressive opposition -- they downed rivals Sporting by three goals, then squeaked by Braga in their most recent match.

Porto superstar and captain Jackson Martinez picked up a groin injury at the weekend and will be unavailable for this game. He’s created nearly as many goals as he’s scored this season, and the Dragons won’t be the same without him up top.

Basel are the harder hit by injuries and suspensions of the two teams, and will be missing three important players. Marek Suchy is suspended, though he might not have played anyway. Fabian Schär, who was out for the first leg, is fit again and should take his place. Attacking midfielder Matias Delgado also misses out, while Ivan Ivanov is still struggling with the same long-term knee injury.

Porto only have one injury, but Martinez’s absence is a huge one. Vincent Aboubacar replaced Martinez at the weekend and is the best bet to get the nod in this game, since Adrian Lopez is not registered for the Champions League.

Porto (4-3-3): Fabiano; Alex Sandro, Ivan Marcano, Maicon, Danilo; Óliver Torres, Casemiro, Héctor Herrera; Yacine Brahimi, Vincent Aboubacar, Cristian Tello

Basel (4-2-3-1): Tomáš Vaclík; Behrang Safari, Fabian Schär, Walter Samuel, Taulant Xhaka; Mohamed Elneny, Fabian Frei; Shkëlzen Gashi, Luca Zuffi, Derlis González; Marco Streller

Basel have given wonderkid Breel Embolo a few starts on the left wing recently, but they’ll probably see this contest as a bit too much, too soon for the 18-year-old star. Porto experimented with giving Evandro a start over Oliver Torres on the weekend, and might give it another shot after they managed to shut out Braga.

Hector Herrera vs. Fabian Frei - While each side’s advanced playmaker butts heads with the opposing holder, the real battle in midfield will be contested between the two runners. Herrera and Frei are key players for their teams, and Herrera was probably the slightly better of the two in the first leg. They’re both tactically and technically adept players, but this should be a good old-fashioned battle to see who’s fitter and more tenacious.

Vincent Aboubacar vs. rust - Aboubacar has no league starts this season, two Champions League starts and just two substitute appearances in Porto’s last five games. Previous Champions League matches and this weekend’s substitution suggest that he’s the most likely man to replace Martinez, but he plays so sparingly that Julen Lopetegui might consider a tactical change. Leading the line in this game is going to be a tough task for the Cameroonian.

Porto’s CBs vs. Marco Streller - Even when Basel’s attack isn’t working, they’re always a big threat to score on set pieces because of Streller’s aerial prowess. Ivan Marcano and Maicon will have their hands full containing him on lofted balls into the box.

It would be easy to pick a Porto win at home if they had their best player available, but they might find things a bit tough without Martinez up top. Having said that, the home field advantage should do something for them. 1-1 draw, Porto win in extra time or on penalties.