Porto vs Manchester City: Preview and Team Updates for Champions League Kickoff

Champions League Opener: Porto Hosts Manchester City

Manchester City start their 2026-27 Champions League journey at Porto on Tuesday, marking the launch of the new league phase. This match also represents a milestone for Enzo Maresca, who manages a Champions League game for City for the first time since replacing Pep Guardiola.

Both teams come into this fixture unbeaten in their domestic leagues, setting the stage for the fifth competitive clash between these clubs. Notably, neither side has ever lost to the other in competitive play before. Porto return to the Champions League proper after last competing in 2023-24, boosted by reclaiming the Primeira Liga title and riding a seven-match winning streak across competitions.

Meanwhile, City head to Portugal following a narrow 1-0 win over Coventry City. Their record signing, £125 million Enzo Fernandez, started unexpectedly early due to an injury to Nico O'Reilly. Despite perfect Premier League form, City's European away results have been less consistent than at home.

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 after a red card in last season's Europa League quarter-final defeat to Nottingham Forest. Nehuen Perez will likely partner Jakub Kiwior in central defence. Victor Froholdt remains sidelined after a recent concussion, along with Vasco Sousa, Oskar Pietuszewski, Gabriel Mec, Zaidu Sanusi, and Samu Aghehowa. Diogo Costa is expected to continue as goalkeeper behind a defence that has conceded just once in six games this season.

Maresca faces uncertainty over Nico O'Reilly, who suffered a back injury during warm-up before the Coventry game. Jeremy Doku remains out with a calf injury. Iliman Ndiaye left his debut match with cramp but should be fit to play. With a Manchester derby looming, several changes are anticipated, potentially bringing Phil Foden and Ayyoub Bouaddi back into the lineup.

Form Guide

Francesco Farioli's squad has won all seven games so far this season across two competitions, scoring 12 goals while conceding just one. Their five consecutive Primeira Liga victories include wins over Alverca, Rio Ave, Arouca, Viseu, and Moreirense. Still, none compare to the challenge of facing Manchester City. Porto have yet to beat City in competitive matches, having lost three times and drawn once in their four previous encounters.

Manchester City have started strongly under Enzo Maresca, winning all three Premier League games against Bournemouth, Crystal Palace, and Coventry City. Erling Haaland scored against Coventry, reaching 300 career goals and surpassing Sergio Aguero as City's top scorer. The team kept their first clean sheet of the season thanks to Gianluigi Donnarumma. City's recent Champions League away form is patchy, with only two wins in their last nine road 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. BBC Radio 5 Live will offer radio commentary for listeners.