Porto Host Manchester City in Champions League Opener with Maresca at the Helm

Manchester City start their 2026-27 Champions League journey on Tuesday night, visiting Porto for the opening fixture of the new league phase. This match marks a milestone for Enzo Maresca, who leads City in the Champions League for the first time after taking over from Pep Guardiola.

Both teams enter this clash unbeaten domestically, setting up their fifth competitive meeting. Historically, neither side has ever lost to the other in these contests. Porto returns to the Champions League group stage since their last appearance in 2023-24, having reclaimed the Primeira Liga title and riding a wave of seven consecutive wins across all competitions.

Meanwhile, Manchester City arrive following a tight 1-0 victory over Coventry City on the weekend. Their record £125m signing, Enzo Fernandez, was unexpectedly introduced into the starting lineup due to an injury to Nico O'Reilly. City has won all three Premier League matches this season but has struggled somewhat away from home in European matches.

Match Details

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

Team Updates

Jan Bednarek will miss the match serving a one-game suspension after being sent off in the Europa League quarter-finals against Nottingham Forest last season. Nehuen Perez is expected to fill the central defense spot alongside Jakub Kiwior. Victor Froholdt remains sidelined after a head injury sustained last weekend, along with Vasco Sousa, Oskar Pietuszewski, Gabriel Mec, Zaidu Sanusi, and Samu Aghehowa. Goalkeeper Diogo Costa will guard the net behind a defense that has conceded just once in six games this season.

There is uncertainty over Nico O'Reilly after he suffered a back injury during warm-up before the recent game. Jeremy Doku continues to recover from a calf issue. Iliman Ndiaye, who left his debut match due to cramp, is expected to be available. With an important Manchester derby looming, Maresca may rotate the squad, possibly bringing back Phil Foden and Ayyoub Bouaddi.

Current Form

Managed by Francesco Farioli, Porto boasts a perfect record of seven wins in seven matches so far, scoring 12 goals while conceding only once. Their Primeira Liga victories include matches against Alverca, Rio Ave, Arouca, Viseu, and Moreirense. Yet none compare to the challenge of facing Manchester City, a side they have never defeated in competitive play—losing three times and drawing once in four meetings.

Enzo Maresca's side has also started flawlessly, winning all three Premier League fixtures against Bournemouth, Crystal Palace, and Coventry City. Erling Haaland's goal against Coventry marked his 300th career goal, surpassing Sergio Aguero as City's all-time top scorer. Gianluigi Donnarumma kept his first clean sheet of the season. Despite strong domestic results, City's away performance in Europe has been mixed, with only two wins in their last nine away Champions League games.

Predicted Lineups

• Porto (4-3-3): D. 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 coverage available via BBC Radio 5 Live.