Porto v Lyon
Porto, last year’s UEFA Cup winners, will be looking to show that their victory over Manchester United in the previous round, was no fluke, when they take on French Champions, Lyon.
The Porto coach Jose Mourinho is not underestimating his opponents who are leading the French Championship.
“My players know French football and Lyon very well, they know this team is full of international players and they won in Munich and San Sebastian,’ said Mourinho. ‘I won’t have to convince them how difficult the task will be.”
Lyon are still without Brazilian defender Claudio Cacapa who is recovering from knee surgery but goalkeeper, Gregory Coupet returns from a wrist injury.
Porto have six players out with captain Jorge Costa joining striker, Silva Derlei, Marco Ferreira, Cesar Peixoto and Ricardo Coasta on the sidelines.
Porto have suffered just one home defeat in the Champions League against Real Madrid in a season where they have won all of their other 13 matches at Estadio das Antas.
The only time the pair have previously met was in the 1964/65 Cup Winners’ Cup when Porto triumphed 3-0 at home and then 1-0 away.
Milan v Deportivo La Coruna
The holders Milan look in ominous form. Having come through a potentially tricky tie against Sparta Prague the Serie A leaders now face Deportivo La Coruna.
The Spanish side are aiming to reach the semi-finals for the first time in their history and have already knocked out Italian champions, Juventus in the previous round.
This is the fifth meeting between the sides in the Champions League, with Milan having won both matches in Spain and Deportivo unbeaten in two games in Italy,.
Brazilian goalkeeper Dida is a doubt after missing last weekend’s win over Parma through injury. Christian Abbiati will deputise. Alessandro Nesta is injured and his starting place could go to the veteran Italian international, Alessandro Costacurta.
Despite scoring two goals against Parma, Jon Dahl Tomasson is set to make way for Filippo Inzaghi who willl play alongside Andrei Shevchenko in attack.
Deportiva have no injury concerns but Victor Sanchez is suspended for the first leg. Diego Tristan is likely to be on the bench for this match as Depor coach Javier Irureta adopts a more defensive approach with Walter Pandiani preferred as the lone striker.
