The Matchday 1 clash of the 2025/26 Europa League group stage between Salzburg (Austria) and Porto (Portugal) will take place on September 25 at the Red Bull Arena. Salzburg vs. Porto: prediction and betting odds, statistics.
Salzburg
The Austrians entered the Europa League after being eliminated in the third qualifying round of the Champions League. Last season, they competed in Europe's most prestigious tournament, finishing 34th in the main stage. Salzburg last appeared in the Europa League in the 2022/23 season, where they fell just short of the Round of 16. Their best achievement in this tournament was reaching the semi-finals. Notably, Salzburg has failed to win 5 of their last 6 Europa League matches (1 draw, 4 losses).
- Salzburg conceded at least two goals in 5 of their last 6 Europa League encounters.
- At home, the team has won 8 of their last 10 games in this tournament (1 draw, 1 loss).
- The club scored at least one goal in 9 of their last 10 home Europa League matches.
Predicted lineup for Salzburg (4-5-1)
Alexander Schlager – Stefan Lainer, Yannick Schuster, Jacob Rasmussen, Frans Krätzig – Mads Bidstrup, Maurits Kjærgaard, Petar Ratkov, Soumaila Diabate, Moussa Yeo – Yorbe Vertessen.
Midfielder Klement Bischof is suspended. Forward Karim Konate and midfielder Yannick Schuster are injured.
Porto
Third place in the national championship secured Porto's spot in the Europa League. They also participated in this tournament last season, finishing 18th in the main stage and being eliminated by Roma in the first playoff round. Notably, Porto won the Europa League in the 2010/11 season but hasn't advanced past the quarter-finals since.
- The Portuguese side has not won in 5 of their last 7 Europa League matches (2 draws, 3 losses).
- The team scored exactly 1 or 2 goals in 7 of their last 8 matches in this tournament.
- The club conceded at least two goals in 6 of their last 8 away games in the Europa League.
Predicted lineup for Porto (4-3-3)
Diogo Costa – Francisco Moura, Jan Bednarek, Pablo Rosario, Jakub Kiwior – Victor Froholt, Alan Varela, Gabri Veiga – Pepe, Samu Agyekum, Borja Sainz.
Midfielder Stephen Eustáquio is suspended. Forward Luuk de Jong and defender Nehuen Perez are injured.
Referee
Vasilis Fotiadis (Greece)
Matches – 6 (International matches, 2025/26);
Yellow cards shown (including second yellows) – 24;
Average yellow cards per match – 4;
Red cards shown – 2;
Average fouls per match – 24;
Penalties – 50%.
Salzburg vs. Porto: Match Prediction
The Austrians had a prolific run in the Champions League qualifiers. Thomas Letsch's side conceded in all four matches, failing to score only once. Similar results are seen in the Europa League, where Salzburg has failed to keep a clean sheet in 7 of their last 8 matches. However, they found the net in 14 of their last 17 Europa League games.
The Portuguese side favors attacking football and sticks to this style even on foreign soil. Porto has scored in 9 consecutive away games in the Europa League, netting at least twice in 5 of those encounters. However, their defense lacks reliability, conceding in 17 of their last 18 away matches in the Europa League.
I expect the opponents to deliver a high-scoring game. My prediction: Both teams to score – yes
* The lineup for each team reflects their starting XI from the previous match.
