Manchester City's Nathan Ake (left) and Ruben Dias during the Premier League match at the Etihad Stadium, Manchester.Manchester City vs FC Porto preview
Premier League side Manchester City will start its 2020/21 Champions League campaign this Wednesday at the Etihad against FC Porto. Pep Guardiola’s men will be keen to pick from where they left last weekend following a 1-0 win over Arsenal in the Premier League.
The Citizens will be targeting glory in this coveted trophy having missed out on last season as they were dumped out of the competition by Lyon where they suffered a 3-1 loss in the quarter-final at home.
Match Facts
- Porto have produced at least three goals in their last eight out of ten Champions League matches.
- There have been at least three goals scored in Manchester City’s last four Champions League matches.
- Manchester City and Porto have at least produced 3 goals in their last two encounters.
- The hosts are unbeaten in eight home European matches (W7 D1) since a 2-1 loss against Lyon on Matchday 1 in 2018/19.
- The hosts have lost three of their last four matches in the Champions League proper (W1) but are unbeaten in nine games in the competition’s group stage (W7 D2), winning their last four.
Team News
Guardiola will be without defender Aymeric Laport who is on the sidelines with a muscular problem. The French international missed out City’s 1-0 victory against Arsenal over the weekend.
Brazilian Gabriel Jesus is also expected to miss the clash having missed out last five matches with a muscular problem.
Kevin De Bruyne and Benjamin Mendy will be other stars Guardiola will be without as they are currently nursing thigh and muscle injuries respectively.
Meanwhile the visiting team is expected to be without goalkeeper Mouhamed Mbaye although he was unlikely to feature.
Porto has been handed a huge boost with new that Mateus Uribe and Luis Diaz set to be available for selection as they have recovered from knocks.
Head to head
The two teams have only met twice and it came way back in the 2011/12 Europa League season, facing each other in the knockout stages. City secured a 6-1 victory on aggregate, beating Porto 2-1 in the first away leg before running riot in the second leg with a 4-0 victory.
Manchester City win
The Sky Blues have not had a close to perfect start to the Premier League but Guardiola will be approaching the match with different and fresh ideas having exited the tournament at the semi-final stage.
Meanwhile, the visitors have had mixed results in their domestic league and are winless in their last two matches. They’ve conceded a total of five goals in their last two games and that means City have the chance of opening their campaign with a comfortable victory at the Etihad Stadium.
Topbets are backing City to emerge the winners on Wednesday and Betway has given them odds of 1.26 to beat Porto while bet254 has 1.26 for the same outcome.
Anytime goalscorer
In the absence of Gabriel Jesus and De Bruyne, Guardiola will once again trust Kun Aguero and Raheem Sterling to lead the attack, Sterling was the man who handed City all the three points over the weekend, scoring the only goal that made the difference.
You can trust Sterling and Aguero with your man and place a bet on any of them to become anytime goalscorer.
Sterling – 1.48 bet254, 1.50 betway
Aguero – 1.28 bet254, betway 1.30 betway.
Over 2.5
City’s attack can guarantee goals galore on Wednesday night and topbets believe the match will produce more than two goals.
Other tips
Real Madrid – Shakhtar Donetsk
- Tip: Real Madrid win, over 2.5
Ajax – Liverpool
- Liverpool win, over 2.5
Inter – Borussia M’gladbach
- Tip: Inter Milan win, Over 2.5
Red Bull Salzburg – Lokomotiv Moscow
- Salzburg win, Over 2.5
Football analyst! Biggest fan of local and international football. Mostly, loves keeping an eye on the upcoming players, always trying to bring debate on youngsters’ potential of becoming the next big thing in the world of football and of, course writing some pieces about them.
