European return at the Estadio Do Dragao
Manchester City take their flawless Premier League record into the Champions League on Tuesday night, facing a Porto side yet to concede more than once in a game this season. The Blues have maximum points from their opening three league games, though the perfection has masked a few wobbles along the way.
Enzo Maresca's side conceded against both Bournemouth and Crystal Palace, and were fortunate to keep a clean sheet against Coventry. Nine points from nine, but the defensive fragilities have been there for anyone willing to look.
Porto's fortress form
Porto come into this one unbeaten at home in their title-winning domestic campaign last season and have won all five of their opening league games this term, scoring 11 goals and conceding once. A first taste of Champions League football since 2023/24, they will not lack confidence in front of their own supporters.
They will, however, be without Jan Bednarek, the former Southampton defender suspended after a red card in his last European outing, a Europa League quarter-final defeat to Nottingham Forest. Nehuen Perez is expected to step in.
Danish midfielder Victor Froholdt is missing after being knocked unconscious by a stray elbow in the league meeting with Moreirense. He is on the mend, but this comes too soon. Vasco Sousa, Gabriel Mec, Oskar Pietuszewski, Zaidu Sanusi and Samu Aghehowa are also absent.
City's absentees and new faces
Jeremy Doku remains sidelined, while Nico O'Reilly is a doubt after withdrawing late before the Coventry game with a back problem. The enforced changes did allow record signing Enzo Fernandez to make his debut, and Iliman Ndiaye got his first minutes following his deadline-day move from Everton.
Ayyoub Bouaddi, another summer arrival, came on late against Coventry and could push for a start here.
Betting and history
City are 8/11 favourites to open the eight-game league phase with a win, with Porto 10/3 and the draw 3/1. In the outright market, the Blues are 9/1 sixth favourites, behind PSG at 5/1, Barcelona, Arsenal and Bayern at 6/1, and Real Madrid at 13/2.
There is history to lean on: City have faced Porto four times in European competition, winning three and drawing the other. Haaland to score anytime in a City win pays 17/10, while the safer-looking City win and both teams to score is 23/10, rising to 7/2 if you throw a Haaland goal into a Bet Builder.
For those tempted by a Porto goal, Gabri Veiga has netted three in five league games and is a value bet at 5/1 to score anytime.
Kick-off is at 8pm BST on Tuesday, September 8 at the Estadio Do Dragao, shown live on Amazon Prime with coverage from 7pm. TalkSPORT will have full match commentary.