Champions League opening round marquee clash: Cityzens head to Estadio do Dragao, four new signings set for European debuts

In the opening round of this season's Champions League group stage, Manchester City will travel to Portugal to face Porto. The match is scheduled for 3:00 AM Beijing time on September 9, and the Cityzens' new head coach Maresca is eager to open his European chapter with a victory.

Historical head-to-head record

The two sides have met four times in official competitions previously, with Manchester City holding a clear advantage of 3 wins and 1 loss, scoring 9 goals and conceding just 2 in that span. Looking back at the 2020-21 Champions League group stage, City won 3-1 at home and played out a goalless draw away against Porto.

Haaland chasing European scoring record

Norwegian striker Haaland has maintained an exceptionally high scoring rate in the Champions League, having netted 57 goals in 58 career appearances in the competition. He is currently tied with German legend Thomas Muller for seventh place on the Champions League all-time scoring list. With just one more goal, he would hold sole possession of seventh place. Ahead of him are Mbappe with 70 goals and Raul with 71.

Four marquee new signings set for Champions League debuts

Manchester City invested as much as 530 million euros in squad overhaul this summer, with Enzo (transfer fee 145 million euros), Elliott Anderson (135 million euros), Bouaddi (95 million euros), and Ndiaye (70 million euros) all having made their Premier League debuts. For this Champions League clash, Enzo, Anderson, and Ndiaye are likely to start, while Bouaddi is expected to feature as a substitute, thereby making his personal Champions League debut.

Manchester City's recent form and statistics

Despite the departure of former head coach Guardiola and the transfer exits of several key players, Manchester City have still claimed three straight wins at the start of the Premier League season. Furthermore, the Cityzens are unbeaten in their opening Champions League match over the last seven seasons, with a record of 6 wins and 1 draw. In their last 19 Champions League outings, they have scored at least two goals every single time, demonstrating consistent and sustained attacking firepower.

Projected starting lineups for both sides

Porto (4-3-3): Diogo Costa / Alberto Costa, Kiwior, Nehuen Perez, Moura / Hwang In-beom, Rosario, Vega / William Gomes, Gimenez, Pepe

Manchester City (4-2-3-1): Donnarumma / Khusanov, Ruben Dias, Guehi, Gvardiol / Anderson, Enzo / Semenyo, Cherki, Ndiaye / Haaland