Sevilla go into the match with just two wins in their last nine league and cup matches and three defeats and two draws in their last five. During that run they were knocked out of the Copa del Rey semi-finals by Real Madrid and fell to eighth in the Primera Division standings, six points off the European places and a massive 14 adrift of the Champions League spots. Despite all that however, Negredo is in optimistic mood ahead of the visit of Porto to the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan stadium. The Spain international said: "These types of games are where you see the best Sevilla. "We are only thinking about winning and getting a good result for the return leg, which will be more difficult. "We know that the tie doesn't finish after 90 minutes, that we have another game after that, and we have to be calm, collected. The best news would be to keep a clean sheet at home and then trust in the people up front. "An away goal is worth double and could hurt us, so what we have to do is defend from the front so that the defence is protected." Porto, who will have fond memories of Seville having won the 2003 UEFA Cup in the city, make the short journey in much better form than their opponents. Andre Villas-Boas' men are still unbeaten after 20 matches in the Portuguese top flight, winning 18 of those, and boast an 11-point lead over second-placed Benfica. They also have the best attack in the division with 46 goals scored, and the meanest defence with only seven conceded. Negredo told SFC Radio: "They are very strong and physical in attack, with a lot of quality players. But we have to focus on ourselves and not look at our opponents. "Porto are a huge club in their league and it's good that they respect us. They know they will come up against a great Sevilla, who are playing at home with the support of their fans." Porto could be boosted by the return of striker Falcao for Thursday's encounter. The Colombian, who is the leading scorer in this season's Europa League with seven goals, has been absent for a month through injury but has been included in a 20-man travelling squad. Kick-off is 8.05pm.
