Enzo Fernandez is in line for his first Manchester City start in Portugal on Tuesday night.
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Enzo Maresca’s side continued their perfect start in the Premier League with a hard-fought 1-0 win against Coventry on Saturday afternoon.
The result maintains their unbeaten record at the start of the campaign and leaves them joint top of the table alongside Arsenal, with the two sides level on points. They are now two points clear of Hull City, who currently sit in third spot.
Erling Haaland opened the scoring in the 26th minute after a dominant opening from the Blues, with the Norwegian marking his 300th goal in club football in the process. City had controlled much of the early stages and were rewarded for their pressure when Haaland found the breakthrough, giving Maresca’s side a deserved lead.
The hosts looked to have doubled their advantage in the second half when Haaland found the net again, only for the goal to be ruled out after Enzo Fernandez was deemed offside in the build-up in the 58th minute. That ensured Coventry remained within touching distance as the game entered its closing stages.
Manchester City secured their third Premier League win this season in as many games as Erling Haaland scored a thunderous header from Antoine Semenyo's cross.cityxtra.co.ukFive Things Learned: Man City 1-0 Coventry City (Premier League)
Manchester City secured their third Premier League win this season in as many games as Erling Haaland scored a thunderous header from Antoine Semenyo's cross.
With just a one-goal lead to protect, City were forced to show a different side to their game. Rather than continuing to dominate possession, Maresca’s side had to rely on some no-nonsense defending to withstand Coventry’s late pressure, with Gianluigi Donnarumma also producing a string of important saves to keep the visitors at bay.
Coventry continued to push for an equaliser but City held firm when it mattered most. The Blues managed the closing stages well and ultimately did enough to secure all three points, preserving their perfect start and keeping pace with Arsenal at the top of the Premier League table.
Attention now must turn to the UEFA Champions League as Manchester City open their campaign against Porto ahead of this weekend's trip across town to face Manchester United.
Last season, City made it to the Round of 16, where Real Madrid brought an end to their European campaign with an emphatic 5-1 aggregate triumph over two legs. This time around, Maresca and his side will be hoping to hit the ground running with a tough league phase schedule ahead.
Porto enter the fixture with a run of seven consecutive competitive wins, meaning City will have to be on top of their game to come away with all three points. Last season, the Portuguese giants made it to the UEFA Europa League quarter-final, falling to a 2-1 aggregate defeat to eventual semi-finalists Nottingham Forest.
Manchester City manager Enzo Maresca has confirmed the extent of Nico O'Reilly's injury concern after he withdrew from the starting line-up against Coventry City on Saturday afternoon.cityxtra.co.ukEnzo Maresca Issues Nico O'Reilly Injury Update After Man City Line-Up Exit Against Coventry
Manchester City manager Enzo Maresca has confirmed the extent of Nico O'Reilly's injury concern after he withdrew from the starting line-up against Coventry City on Saturday afternoon.
Match Details
Porto vs Manchester City will kick off at 20:00 UK on Tuesday 8 September at the Estádio do Dragão.
Match Officials
Szymon Marciniak will oversee proceedings on Tuesday night. He last refereed the Blues in their 4-1 win over Borussia Dortmund last season, they have lost just one of the six games he has overseen. The full list of match officials is as follows:
Manchester City open their UEFA Champions League account with a league phase match-up against FC Porto in Portugal on Tuesday night.cityxtra.co.ukManchester City open their UEFA Champions League account with a league phase match-up against FC Porto in Portugal on Tuesday night.
Match Officials: Szymon Marciniak to referee FC Porto vs Man City (UEFA Champions League)
Team News
FC Porto head coach Francesco Farioli has confirmed he will be without all of Jan Bednarek, Victor Froholdt, and Samu Aghehowa for their UEFA Champions League opener against Manchester City, with the former suspended owing to a red card against Nottingham Forest in the Europa League last season.
Aghehowa is a longer-term absentee after suffering a cruciate ligament tear back in February, while Victor Froholdt misses out after being knocked unconscious during Friday night's victory over Moreirense in Liga Portugal.
Matheus Nunes was absent from the Manchester City squad on Saturday against Coventry City, but appeared to train without issue with the rest of his teammates on Monday afternoon.
Jeremy Doku remains absent owing to a calf injury sustained during the FA Community Shield against Arsenal prior to the Premier League campaign, and there is currently no return date for the Belgian.
Nico O'Reilly was a late withdrawal from the starting line-up against Coventry at the weekend after feeling pain in his back during the warm-ups. Enzo Maresca has since confirmed that the issue is nothing serious, although the England international missed training on Monday.
Allan Elias was short of the necessary fitness to be included in the matchday squad on Saturday, but trained as normal with his teammates this week ahead of travelling to Portugal on Monday evening.
Press Conference
Matheus Nunes and Enzo Maresca will preview the UEFA Champions League league phase opener from around 20:10 (UK) onwards on Monday.
Refresh for updates.
Head to Head
Manchester City have faced Porto four times in total, twice in the UEFA Europa League and twice in the UEFA Champions League.
In 2012, the pair met in the UEFA Europa League Round of 32. Across the two legs, City won 6-1, with two goals from Sergio Aguero, an Alvaro Pereira own goal as well as goals from Edin Dzeko, David Silva and David Pizarro.
The sides met again in the UEFA Champions League group stage in 2020. In the first of two meetings. City walked away 3-1 winners - Sergio Aguero, Ilkay Gundogan, and Ferran Torres scored on that occasion. In the second meeting, the two played out a goalless draw.
Summer deadline day recruit Iliman Ndiaye has eased concerns from Manchester City fans over the reason behind his substitution on his debut against Coventry City on Saturday afternoon.cityxtra.co.ukIliman Ndiaye Issues Update Amid Injury Concerns Following Man City Substitution
Summer deadline day recruit Iliman Ndiaye has eased concerns from Manchester City fans over the reason behind his substitution on his debut against Coventry City on Saturday afternoon.
Statistics
There have been 11 goals in the four previous meetings, meaning the fixture averages 2.75 goals per game. City have scored nine of them, Porto just two.
Haaland is just five goals away from becoming Manchester City's top UEFA Champions League scorer. Sergio Aguero currently tops the list with 39 goals.
Porto have gone 11 years without beating an English side in the UEFA Champions League Their last victory came against Leicester City, when they won 5-0 in December 2016.
Lionel Messi currently holds the record for fastest to 60 Champions League goals, doing it in 80 matches. Haaland currently sits on 57 goals in 58 games.
How To Watch
Viewers in the UK will be able to watch Porto vs Manchester City on Amazon Prime Video. Radio coverage will be available on BBC Radio 5 Live.
Those watching in the USA will be able to watch on Paramount+.
Full international TV listings can be found here!
City Xtra will have full live coverage available on X, Facebook and Instagram throughout matchday, with content also on cityxtra.co.uk!