Erling Haaland scored twice as Manchester City made a strong start to their Champions League campaign with a comfortable victory over Porto at the Estadio do Dragao.
The Norway striker continued his excellent form in front of goal after scoring against Coventry on Saturday. Haaland once again proved decisive, scoring twice to take his Champions League tally for City to 36 goals in just 40 appearances.
His first goal came with a well placed header into the far corner. He later completed his brace by calmly rolling the ball home, giving City a commanding advantage.
City returned to Lisbon with memories of their 2021 UEFA Champions League final defeat by Chelsea at the Estadio do Dragao. However, Tuesday’s trip produced a much happier outcome as the visitors controlled the match and secured an important away victory.
The result also gives City an encouraging start after their recent Champions League disappointment. Real Madrid eliminated them in each of the previous three seasons, but they showed confidence and control against Porto.
The visitors also arrived in Portugal in good domestic form. Enzo Maresca’s side had opened the Premier League season with three straight victories and carried that momentum into Europe.
Teenager Ayyoub Bouaddi also impressed on his first start for City. The youngster showed composure throughout the contest and contributed to a disciplined team display.
Haaland Leads City to a Comfortable European Victory
Porto goalkeeper Diogo Costa produced several excellent saves during the first half to prevent City from building an even bigger lead.
Costa twice denied Haaland with superb reflex stops. He also kept out efforts from Antoine Semenyo and Phil Foden as City continued to create dangerous openings.
Porto entered the match in excellent domestic form. Francesco Farioli’s team had won all five of their league games this season, but they struggled to reproduce that form against City.
The Portuguese side failed to register a single shot during the opening 45 minutes. They looked frustrated as City controlled possession and limited their attacking opportunities.
Porto improved slightly after Haaland opened the scoring. Alan Varela curled an effort narrowly wide, while William Gomes also sent an attempt off target.
Despite those efforts, Porto never seriously threatened Gianluigi Donnarumma. The City goalkeeper finished the match without making a save as the visitors protected their advantage with relative comfort.
The defeat continued Porto’s difficult record against English opposition in European competition. The 2004 Champions League winners have now won only two of their last 17 matches against teams from England.
For City, the victory represents an important first step in their latest attempt to reclaim the Champions League trophy. They last lifted the title during their historic Treble winning campaign in 2023 and will hope this campaign can bring another run at European glory.
