Porto v Arsenal: Champions League last 16, first leg – live

Sergio Conceicao: “These are meetings of the highest level and, at this stage, even more so,” said Porto’s manager in his pre-match media address. “Let’s go into more detail in the preparation, because there is so much quality and situation to cancel that we want to explore. Preparation is no different. Maybe, since there is a lot of material and content, the video session is a little longer. Training on the field is the same.

“I think everyone knows this team. It has great quality and a coach who has been at the club for five years and who has acquired individual values of enormous quality. When combining this with their collective organisation, Arsenal are capable, competent and strong. We cannot forget that it is in the top three in market value. This indicates their power. Now, we are facing a team with a European pedigree.

“We look at a team with technical capacity and talent, which can be resolved at a given moment. It is one of those with the highest percentage of ball possession in the English League, it knows how to speed up the game like no one else through very wide and deep wings, which create imbalances one on one, it has midfielders with great ability to infiltrate [the opponent’s defensive organisation] and is very present in the last third, being also strong in tactical schemes.”

Mikel Arteta: “I’m really impressed with Porto,” said Arsenal’s manager. “I know the manager really well and the history that they have. They have a lot of experience in the competition, they have many qualities in many phases of play, that’s why they are always competitive in the European competitions.

“It’s a really tough opponent that we are going to face tomorrow, but at the same time we are very excited. It’s been seven years that we haven’t been here and we are all full of energy and excitement to play the game we want to tomorrow.

“It’s great we have earned the right to be here. It’s been seven years since we’ve been at this table for this kind of match and 14 years since we’ve been able to go to the next stage. That’s the challenge, that’s what is ahead of us and we are really excited to face it, and to go for it with full belief, that’s for sure.”

Those teams: Brazilian left-back Wendell comes into the Porto side in place of the injured Zaidu Sanusi, in the home side’s only change to the team that started against Estrela at the weekend. Arsenal field the same 11 players who started their demolition of Burnley at Turf Moor on Saturday evening.

• Referee: Serdar Gozubuyuk

• Assistant referees: Erwin Zeinstra and Johan Balder

• Fourth official: Joey Kooij

• VAR: Dennis Higler

• Assistant VAR: Pol van Boekel

FC Porto: Costa, Joao Mario, Kleper Pepe, Otavio, Wendell, Varela, Gonzalez, Francisco Conceicao, Eduardo Pepe, Galeno, Evanilson.

Subs: Stephen Eustaquio, Grujic, Claudio Ramos, Sanchez, Jaime, Loader, Andre Franco, Baro, Martinez, Borges, Ze Pedro, Fabio Cardoso.

Arsenal: Raya, White, Saliba, Gabriel, Kiwior, Odegaard, Rice, Havertz, Saka, Trossard, Martinelli.

Subs: Ramsdale, Smith Rowe, Nketiah, Cedric, Jorginho, Vieira, Nelson, Elneny, Hein, Nwaneri, Lannin-Sweet, Heaven.

Porto lost their Nigerian left-back Zaidu Sanusi to a season-ending knee injury last weekend and he joins Ivan Marcano, who is also likely to miss the rest of the campaign, among Porto’s long-term lame and halt. Iranian striker Mehdi Taremi has also been ruled out of tonight’s game. Midfielder Stephen Eustaquio is a doubt for tonight’s game, having sat out Porto’s weekend win over Estrela.

Gabriel Jesus, Oleksandr Zinchenko and Takehiro Tomiyasu all missed Arsenal’s trip to Burnley at the weekend and weren’t on board the plane to Portugal. Jurrien Timber and Thomas Partey remain sidelined, but former Porto player Fabio Vieira has travelled with Arsenal’s squad despite having been out with a groin injury since November. The 23-year-old made 76 appearances for Porto before moving to Arsenal, chipping in with 10 goals.

The only remaining Portuguese side remaining in this season’s Champions League, Porto welcome Arsenal to the Estadio do Dragao for tonight’s first leg. It’s the visitors’ first appearance in the Champions League knockout stages in eight years and sitting in third place in the Premier League, they occupy the same position held by their hosts in the Liga Portugal.

Sergio Conceicao’s side are unbeaten in 10 matches at home and have gone five matches at the Dragao without conceding a goal. Their defensive mettle is likely to be tested by an Arsenal side that has won five games on the bounce, scoring 21 goals in the process. Kick-off in Porto as at 8pm (GMT) but we’ll have plenty of team news and build-up in the meantime.