Arsenal vs Porto prediction, odds, expert football betting tips and best bets for Champions League first leg

Suddenly back in the thick of the Premier League title race, Arsenal turn their attention to the Champions League as they travel south to Portugal to take on Porto.

The Gunners have ridden a five-match domestic league winning streak back into a position of strength, sitting just two points behind leaders Liverpool and two above Manchester City. They sit behind both in possible points remaining, but only by the narrowest of margins, and with so much time left, they hope the boost in standing will carry over into continental action.

European road trips have given the Gunners fits this season. They lost at French side Lens to begin UCL group stage play, before drawing with PSV in the Netherlands and winning narrowly 2-1 at Sevilla.

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Porto, meanwhile, have hit a spike strip in league action, with just one win in their last three opening a seven-point gap between their third-place position and leaders Benfica, with Sporting also four points above in second. In that span, they played to a scoreless draw against 10-man Rio Ave and then fell 3-2 to Arouca while themselves finishing a man down.

Arsenal blasted Porto 5-0 the last time these two teams met in European competition, coming in the 2010/11 Champions League, but they've tasted defeat in each of their last two trips to Estadio Do Dragao.

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Both these sides are much better at home than on the road, meaning this should play out as quite the cagey first leg. Arsenal will be happy to escape with a first-leg lead regardless of how it takes place, and they should look to take the air out of the ball in any way possible.

The Gunners have had a tough time