A new Champions League campaign launches into life with a meeting of two former winners as Porto host Manchester City in an intriguing opening-round clash.
For the first time in more than a decade, the visitors embark on a European adventure without Pep Guardiola at the helm, with Enzo Maresca stepping up for his first continental fixture in charge. A strong start to the Premier League season has come after another productive summer in the transfer market, and Manchester City are at just about full strength tonight.
Maresca will have another Italian for company on the touchline in Francesco Farioli, the highly-rated young manager who has restored Porto to champions of Portugal. Another storming start in the Primeira Liga will leave confidence high that the club can mix it with the European heavyweights as they return to the top tier for the first time in three years – and this early test will be a good gauge of their Champions League aspirations.
Follow all of the latest from the clash with our live blog below:
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Porto vs Manchester City LIVE
- Porto host Manchester City in the Champions League | Live on Prime Video
- Manchester City begin first European campaign after Pep Guardiola's departure
- Porto back in competition for first time in three years under highly-rated Francesco Farioli
- TEAM NEWS: Ayyoub Bouaddi makes first Manchester City start
- 32' – Diogo Costa makes brilliant double save to keep match goalless (POR 0-0 MCI)
- HALF TIME: Porto 0-0 Manchester City
HT: Porto 0-0 Manchester City
20:53 , Harry Latham-CoyleThe Porto fans, players and coaches make their feelings known to Szymon Marciniak after he blows the half-time whistle, the hosts still aggrieved that the referee did not punish Marc Guehi for that collision with Gabri Veiga.
There hasn’t been much otherwise from Porto to make noise about. After a slow start, Manchester City grew into the half well – but could they rue not converting at least one of their chances? Back for more in a bit.
HALF TIME: Porto 0-0 Manchester City
20:50 , Harry Latham-Coyle
Porto 0-0 Manchester City, 45 minutes
20:48 , Harry Latham-CoyleVeiga returns as the board goes up to signal three additional minutes at the end of the half.
Porto 0-0 Manchester City, 44 minutes
20:47 , Harry Latham-CoyleGabri Veiga has been patched up, though doesn’t necessarily look totally steady as he wanders over to the touchline. Having already lost one midfielder to a head injury this week, Porto won’t be keen to lose another, but safety must come first if there is suspicion of a concussion.
Porto 0-0 Manchester City, 43 minutes
20:45 , Harry Latham-CoyleFrancesco Farioli slaps furiously at his elbow, indicating what he thought about Guehi’s challenge. The officials, for now at least, appear happy to let it go, though Gabriel Veiga is still down and receiving treatment.
Porto 0-0 Manchester City, 41 minutes
20:44 , Harry Latham-CoyleYeesh! A nasty one for Gabriel Veiga, taking the full force of Marc Guehi’s arm to his head and appearing to be cut open. Guehi was contesting for the ball, but it’s a little clumsy.
Veiga’s got a fair bit of claret on his face. Will this prompt further scrutiny?
Porto 0-0 Manchester City, 39 minutes
20:42 , Harry Latham-CoyleEnzo Fernandez looks longer to Erling Haaland, though can’t link up with his striker. Pepe then makes an error in possession as Porto look to build – there just hasn’t been quite enough quality in that regard from the home side.
Porto 0-0 Manchester City, 36 minutes
20:40 , Harry Latham-CoyleJosko Gvardiol gets a booking as William Gomes takes the ball from him and then looks to surge away. The pair then threaten to come to blows, forcing referee Szymon Marciniak to storm in and separate them. The Polish official doesn’t look like the sort of ref you’d want to mess with. A firm word and tensions soon calm.
Porto 0-0 Manchester City, 32 minutes
20:37 , Harry Latham-CoyleFrancesco Farioli has now shed his outer layer and cap with things hotting up. The Italian manager appears to be urging his side up the field a bit – they’ve perhaps just retreated from the knotty high press that was working well in the opening exchanges.
Porto 0-0 Manchester City, 32 minutes
20:35 , Harry Latham-CoyleWhat a double save! Outstanding goalkeeping from Diogo Costa, beating away two efforts in quick succession after springing across to deny Erling Haaland and Rayan Cherki in turn as Manchester City lift the tempo.
After a slow start, this cagey contest is sparking a little now.
Porto 0-0 Manchester City, 31 minutes
20:34 , Harry Latham-CoylePorto, meanwhile, are yet to have a licit touch inside the Manchester City box, their two entries having been wiped by earlier offsides.
Porto 0-0 Manchester City, 29 minutes
20:31 , Harry Latham-CoyleSigns, though, that Manchester City are starting to find their stride. Phil Foden stabs an effort into the forearms of Diogo Costa, down low to his right to save.
Porto 0-0 Manchester City, 27 minutes
20:30 , Harry Latham-CoyleAnother chance for Erling Haaland. Josko Gvardiola’s underlapping run creates room for Antoine Semenyo to cut back inside and swing in a cross, which Haaland flicks beyond and over the far post. Not his best header; another decent opportunity.
Porto 0-0 Manchester City, 26 minutes
20:28 , Harry Latham-CoylePorto are managing to find a bit of space beyond the Manchester City defence – admittedly from offside positions. The rangy Pablo Rosario is the man straying too soon on this occasion.
Porto 0-0 Manchester City, 24 minutes
20:26 , Harry Latham-CoyleErling Haaland then bundles over Nehuen Perez as he looks to get on the end of another cross into the Porto box.
Porto 0-0 Manchester City, 22 minutes
20:24 , Harry Latham-CoyleA spot of wrestling denies Manchester City the chance to contest the resultant corner.
Porto 0-0 Manchester City, 20 minutes
20:23 , Harry Latham-CoyleThere is that first touch...and nearly a goal! Much, much more like it from Manchester City, Phil Foden breaking down the inside left channel as he roams and curling in a firm cross. Erling Haaland heads it goalwards and Diogo Costa is forced into a sharp save.
Haaland will be disappointed not to have buried it.
Porto 0-0 Manchester City, 18 minutes
20:20 , Harry Latham-CoyleNo chances of real note, then, through 18 minutes and counting. Two well-coached sides still settling in and feeling one another out. I don’t think Erling Haaland has touched the ball yet.
Porto 0-0 Manchester City, 16 minutes
20:18 , Harry Latham-CoyleA slightly loose moment from Ayyoub Bouaddi as he gives the ball away in his own half. Josko Gvardiol bails him out.
At the other end, Antoine Semenyo chops inside and curls into the arms of Diogo Costa. A simple save for Portugal’s No 1.
Porto 0-0 Manchester City, 14 minutes
20:17 , Harry Latham-CoyleGood defensive work from Martim Fernandes allows the Porto left-back to get back and defuse the danger posed by Phil Foden.
The hosts break at relative pace and Gabriel Veiga gets beyond the Manchester City defence. Gianluigi Donnarumma makes a smart stop with his right boot, jutting it under the table, though Veiga was offside anyway.
Porto 0-0 Manchester City, 12 minutes
20:15 , Harry Latham-CoyleMore like it from Manchester City, breaking the lines with Ayyoub Bouaddi connecting with a couple of teammates to progress the ball. Porto lock into their defensive shape quickly enough to prevent further penetration, before Ruben Dias’ pass evades Matheus Nunes on the right flank.
Porto 0-0 Manchester City, 11 minutes
20:13 , Harry Latham-CoyleRayan Cherki is buzzing about all over the place in search of possession, but Porto have so far handled him well. Alan Varela and Pablo Rosario give them real strength in that defensive midfield area.
Porto 0-0 Manchester City, 9 minutes
20:11 , Harry Latham-CoyleWilliam Gomes takes a tumble after dispossessing Josko Gvardiol, though there is no foul by the Manchester City man. Gomes then beats him soon afterwards with a quick shuffle of feet and change of direction, though runs out of play at the byline.
Porto 0-0 Manchester City, 7 minutes
20:09 , Harry Latham-CoyleCagey enough stuff, mind, in these opening minutes. Manchester City bop the ball about in their defensive third in relative comfort but are trapped in by a good Porto press.
Porto 0-0 Manchester City, 5 minutes
20:08 , Harry Latham-CoylePepe gets a first chance in a semblance of space wide on the Porto left, but Matheus Nunes is across in short order to cover. Nunes is back to full fitness after a bit of an ankle niggle that disrupted the start of his season.
Porto 0-0 Manchester City, 4 minutes
20:06 , Harry Latham-CoyleA few whistles as Gianluigi Donnarumma takes his time over the opening goal kick of the game. Ruben Dias, a Benfica youth product, gets his fair share of jeering, too.
Porto 0-0 Manchester City, 2 minutes
20:05 , Harry Latham-CoyleFrancesco Farioli has a cap on, shielding himself from the elements as he shouts some directions to his side in typically energetic fashion. It looks like a typical 4-3-3 from the hosts, with Ayyoub Bouaddi the deeper of Manchester City’s double midfield pivot.
Porto 0-0 Manchester City, 1 minute
20:03 , Harry Latham-Coyle“Perfect weather,” Alan Shearer remarks on commentary, perhaps reflective of a summer sweltering both in the United Kingdon and in the United States during the World Cup. It’s hosing it down.
Manchester City in control of the ball in the opening skirmishes.
KICK OFF!
20:02 , Harry Latham-CoyleRight, here we go. Porto in blue and white, Manchester City in their change black strip with gold accents. The Champions League clash is underway!
Porto vs Manchester City
19:58 , Harry Latham-CoyleOut the players come with the rain still teeming down. It is due to stop at some point during the course of this evening, but it’s a damp one for now.
Porto vs Manchester City
19:54 , Harry Latham-CoyleThere’s no Victor Froholdt in the Porto midfield tonight after a pretty nasty head clash, which is a real shame – his battle with Ayyoub Bouaddi would have been fun. Two top midfield talents.
Can Enzo Fernandez impose himself on this contest? One would expect Manchester City to have much of the ball, which will pose a new challenge for this Porto team.
Porto vs Manchester City
19:48 , Harry Latham-CoyleIt’s obviously not just Pep Guardiola conspicuous by his absence in a Manchester City sense tonight. John Stones, Rodri and Bernardo Silva have formed the spine of their side on so many nights like this – big shoes to fill; experienced heads to find.
Porto vs Manchester City
19:40 , Harry Latham-CoyleThe nominations for the Ballon d’Or awards came out a little earlier today, with Erling Haaland up for the main prize and Ayyoub Bouaddi a contender for the “Young Talent of the Year”. Bouaddi showed at the World Cup a maturity beyond his 18 years, befitting a man already with more than 100 senior club appearances, but this is another important moment after a big-money move as he makes his first start.
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Disruption at the back
19:30 , Harry Latham-CoylePolish pair Jan Bednarek and Jakub Kiwior have formed a strong partnership for Porto of late, but the former is suspended tonight, necessitating Nehuen Perez’s inclusion at the back. He may have his hands full with Erling Haaland – Kiwior will know the striker from his time at Arsenal, of course, though that doesn’t make it any easier to stop him.
It’s a pretty nasty night in Porto, incidentally, the rain tumbling down. A Manchester welcome for the travelling fans.
Porto's strength at home
19:20 , Harry Latham-CoyleIt’s a little while since we’ve seen them on this stage but Porto boast a strong record at home in Uefa competitions. The hosts have lost just one of their last 14 matches in European football at the Estadio do Dragao.
Francesco Farioli with chance to build reputation
19:10 , Harry Latham-CoyleIt surely won’t be long until Francesco Farioli’s profile grows again, the Italian having done such sterling work since arriving at Porto. His has been an odd journey through the managerial ranks, beginning in Turkey and then through mixed stints at Nice and Ajax, but Roberto De Zerbi’s former assistant has thrived in the last 12 months.
"I'm happy to be in the Champions League for the first time at 37 years old,” he said. This will be my first game, but we approach every game with the same attention to detail and the same focus. It's easy for the players to be motivated tomorrow. But the key will be our strategy and our ability to execute it, individually and collectively."
Enzo Maresca wary of Porto's set-piece threat
19:00 , Harry Latham-CoyleManchester City boss Enzo Maresca is wary of the home side’s set-piece strength, particularly, tonight.
"Very, very good team,” Maresca said of Porto yesterday. “The team is very clear the way they play. They have a clear style so congratulations to them. I know that Porto are good at set pieces. It has become part of the game. Defend in the right way and score set pieces. You need to be perfect in your game."
Team news – Manchester City
18:54 , Harry Latham-CoyleManchester City XI: Donnarumma; Nunes, Dias, Guehi, Gvardiol; Fernandez, Bouaddi; Foden, Cherki, Semenyo; Haaland.
Team news – Porto
18:52 , Harry Latham-CoylePorto XI: Costa; Costa, Perez, Kiwior, Fernandes; Varela, Rosario, Veiga; Gomez, Silva, Pepe.
Man City ignored Enzo Fernandez’s red flags – and now they have three issues
18:35 , Harry Latham-CoyleGetting the midfield mix right will be key for Enzo Maresca if Manchester City are to go deep in this competition. It seems like Ayyoub Bouaddi is set for a start in Porto but what role might Enzo Fernandez have – both tonight and in the long-term. Richard Jolly profiles a potentially flawed signing.
Man City ignored Enzo Fernandez’s red flags – and now they have three issues
Why Manchester City spent big money to revolutionise their squad
18:25 , Harry Latham-CoyleManchester City’s squad has a new look, too – Richard Jolly explains why they felt they had to invest.
Why Manchester City spent big money to revolutionise their squad
A new era for Manchester City
18:15 , Harry Latham-CoyleFor Manchester City, this is another step into the unknown under Enzo Maresca as the new manager takes charge of his first Champions League game with the club. Maresca did a solid enough with Chelsea last year as he managed the dual demands of domestic and European football – and has both a Conference League and Club World Cup to fall back on as proof of his tournament credentials.
PSG’s big Champions League advantage is also its biggest problem
18:05 , Harry Latham-CoyleA new season dawns, then, and perhaps with a new problem – have PSG shown the league phase to be entirely trivial? Miguel Delaney sets the scene.
PSG’s big Champions League advantage is also its biggest problem
Porto vs Manchester City LIVE
17:04 , Harry Latham-CoyleHit the music; light the lights; fetch that massive trophy – a new Champions League campaign is here. The league phase may remain convoluted, confusing and a trifle contrived but an opening-round clash of former winners whets the appetite for the long and busy European season ahead: it’s Porto and Manchester City in action here for an intriguing little first step on the road to Madrid next May.
Kick off is at 8pm BST.
