Jose Mourinho thinks Porto are the team to avoid in the Champions League

When you look at the possible teams Manchester United could face in the next round of the UEFA Champions League, you’d be forgiven for saying that Porto are the team every club wants to face.

And that is said with the as little disrespect towards the Portuguese champions as possible. After all, this is a team that have now won their past 13 games across all competitions, an extraordinary statistic and a run that is close to matching their record of 15 wins in a row.

However, after Porto topped their group, they are now one of the eight seeded sides for the round of 16 draw, meaning they are alongside European heavyweights in Barcelona, PSG, Real Madrid, Juventus, Bayern Munich, Manchester City and Borussia Dortmund. A terrifying lineup of teams to say the least, and as such to say that Porto would be the most favourable draw of all eight seems a fair and valid assessment.

However, their former manager and current Manchester United thinks otherwise. “People look at FC Porto and think that they are the best team to get. I do not think that at all.”

“I think that was the feeling 15 years ago when Manchester United with a team full of stars were eliminated [by Porto] and Porto advanced.”

Because United were in the same group as Juventus, the Red Devils' will be unable to play the Italian champions in the next round, while they also cannot be drawn against rivals Manchester City due to teams from the same country being separated for the first knockout round.

That means that Manchester United’s options for the round of 16 are Porto, Bayern, Barcelona, Real Madrid, PSG and Dortmund - and while most fans will be hoping for Porto, Mourinho clearly disagrees.

“I hope we do not play against them because I know they are a great team.”