Porto Hosts Manchester City in Champions League Opener

Manchester City kick off their 2026-27 Champions League journey at Porto on Tuesday. This game marks a significant moment for Enzo Maresca, who manages his first Champions League match for City after taking over from Pep Guardiola.

Both teams come into this fixture undefeated in their domestic leagues, setting the stage for their fifth competitive encounter. Historically, neither club has ever lost to the other. Porto makes its return to the Champions League group stage since the 2023-24 season, having reclaimed the Primeira Liga title last year. They bring momentum from seven straight wins across all competitions.

Manchester City arrive after a hard-fought 1-0 win over Coventry City, where their record signing Enzo Fernandez (£125m) was unexpectedly started due to an injury to Nico O'Reilly. City's squad holds a perfect record in the Premier League so far but their recent away performances in European competition have been less convincing.

Match Details

• Date: Tuesday, 8 September 2026
• Kick-off: 20:00 BST
• Venue: Estádio do Dragão, Porto
• Referee: Szymon Marciniak (Poland)
• Last Meeting: Porto 0-0 Manchester City, 1 December 2020 (Champions League Group Stage)

Team News

Jan Bednarek is suspended for one match following a red card in last season's Europa League quarter-final against Nottingham Forest. Nehuen Perez is expected to partner Jakub Kiwior in central defense. Victor Froholdt remains out after being knocked unconscious recently, alongside Vasco Sousa, Oskar Pietuszewski, Gabriel Mec, Zaidu Sanusi, and Samu Aghehowa. Diogo Costa will continue as goalkeeper behind a defense that has allowed only one goal in six games this season.

Enzo Maresca faces uncertainty over Nico O'Reilly, who suffered a back injury before the Coventry match. Jeremy Doku remains sidelined with a calf issue. Iliman Ndiaye, who left his debut game early with cramp, should be available. Given the upcoming Manchester derby, Maresca is likely to rotate his squad, possibly bringing back Phil Foden and Ayyoub Bouaddi.

Current Form

Under Francesco Farioli, Porto have won all seven games this season in two competitions, scoring 12 goals and conceding just once. Their five-game winning streak in the Primeira Liga includes victories over Alverca, Rio Ave, Arouca, Viseu, and Moreirense. Despite this strong run, facing a team of Manchester City's caliber presents a much bigger challenge. Porto have yet to beat City in competitive matches, with three losses and one draw previously.

City have started perfectly under Maresca, winning all Premier League games against Bournemouth, Crystal Palace, and Coventry City. Erling Haaland’s goal versus Coventry marked his 300th career strike and placed him ahead of Sergio Aguero in City's scoring records. Gianluigi Donnarumma helped keep City's first clean sheet of the season. Still, their away results in the Champions League have been patchy, with just two wins in their last nine road games in Europe’s top competition.

Expected Lineups

• Porto (4-3-3): Diogo Costa; A. Costa, Perez, Kiwior, Moura; Fofana, Rosario, Veiga; Gomes, Silva, Pepe
• Manchester City (4-2-3-1): Donnarumma; Nunes, Guehi, Dias, Ait-Nouri; Anderson, Bouaddi; Semenyo, Cherki, Foden; Haaland

Broadcast Information

The match will be shown live in the UK on Amazon Prime Video, with radio commentary available via BBC Radio 5 Live.