Taking part in their first Champions League campaign, Malaga is looking to continue their positive European form on Tuesday night in Portugal. The Spanish side came out of Group C without a defeat and they looked very impressive against sides like AC Milan, Zenit St. Petersburg and Belgian side Anderlecht.
Tuesday night will begin a new chapter for Manuel Pellegrini's side. The Chilean manager had to make some changes after losing Santi Cazorla in the summer, but his side has adapted well. Knowing what his side is up against, Pellegrini believes that it would not be a surprise to see Malaga go through to the next phase of the competition.
"I do not believe it would be a surprise. In knockout rounds, their are two matches, with 180 minutes, anything can happen. It is obvious that we are going to play against a good team, but Malaga has proven in the Champions League that we have enough talent to go through as well," a confident Pellegrini told reporters.
Grabbing at least one goal at the Estadio do Dragao will be Pellegrini's objective, but he believes things will only be decided in the second leg.
Porto's manager expects a very competitive match, but is hopeful that his side can win, and without conceding any goals.
"In elimination matches like this, it is important to win and not concede any goals," said the Portuguese manager.
When questioned about this being Malaga's first run in the Champions League, Vitor Pereira did not see that as being an advantage for his side.
"If the past played, the victory would be guaranteed. But, since the past does not play, Malaga is currently fourth in La Liga, in the Group Stage they finished ahead of AC Milan and Zenit St. Petersburg. They proved their worth, as well as we have."
"I expect a difficult match. I observed Malaga on two occasions, apart from watching them on television, and they have an incredible work rate offensively, as well as defensively."
The Spanish side will be without Eliseu on Tuesday due to injury. Some of his goals helped lift Malaga into the top spot in the group stage, so his presence will certainly be missed.
For the home side, James Rodriguez made his return to action on Friday, having played the final 20 minutes of the match. Vitor Pereira is still uncertain if the Colombian will feature on Tuesday, but one would imagine that James will at least be an option available on the bench.
Porto's Previous Matches
02-15-13 Beira Mar 0-2 Porto
02-10-13 Porto 1-1 Olhanense
02-02-13 V. Guimaraes 0-4 Porto
01-28-13 Porto 5-0 Gil Vicente
01-23-13 V. Setubal 0-3 Porto
Malaga's Previous Matches
02-16-13 Malaga 1-0 Atletic Bilbao
02-09-13 Levante 1-2 Malaga
02-03-13 Malaga 1-1 Zaragoza
01-27-13 Mallorca 2-3 Malaga
01-24-13 Malaga 2-4 Barcelona (Copa del Rey)
Prediction
Malaga has absolutely nothing to lose going into Tuesday's match. As Pellegrini said in his press conference, when the initial groups were drawn, not many people expected the Spanish side to make it this far. After losing Santi Cazorla and running into financial problems over the summer, they looked doomed, but Pellegrini has done a fantastic job with his squad.
New fan favorite Isco will be watched very closely, with Joao Moutinho, Fernando and Lucho Gonzalez in charge of making sure the Malaga star does not have a significant impact in the match.
Considered to be one of the Spanish League's most promising prospects, Isco will have a lot of pressure on his shoulders heading into both matches with Porto.
Ahead of Isco will be former Benfica striker Javier Saviola. The Argentine striker played a good amount of matches for the Lisbon side, so he will know exactly what to expect from Porto. His knowledge of the Portuguese League and the opposition could give him and his side a slight advantage on Tuesday.
One player who will be difficult to stop will be Colombian sensation Jackson Martinez. The Porto striker has been in incredible form since arriving in Portugal and Malaga will have certainly watched plenty of videos to make sure they know what to expect from him.
This match will be a tactical battle from the get go, with Porto wanting to impose their dominance at home, while Malaga will be happy to let Vitor Pereira's side possess the ball, allowing the visitors to break on the counter attack. Fortunately for Malaga, regardless if they have the ball or not, they always appear to be very composed and comfortable, no matter what situation they are in.
Being able to absorb the pressure that Porto throws at them will be important throughout the first half, but Pellegrini's side will need to make sure they take their opportunities when they can.
Porto does not generally make many mistakes, so capitalizing on what ever they can will be the first step to getting a positive result in Portugal.
With both teams not wanting to concede early, this could start off as a boring match, but in the end, it will provide the viewers with some moments of brilliance, as well as a goal or two. Porto's dominance at home should give them a slight advantage, but seeing how well Malaga did in the group stage, anything is possible in this match.
Porto 2-1 Malaga
