Manchester City - Porto: Man City overcame an early hiccup to beat Porto 3-1 at the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday in the first match of its 2020-21 UEFA Champions League campaign.
Luis Diaz gave Porto a lead but City quickly answered before pulling away in the second half.
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Sergio Aguero’s 40th Champions League goal leveled the score before a stylish Ilkay Gundogan free kick and pretty Ferran Torres dribble put the game to bed.
Three things we learned from Manchester City - Porto
1. Autopilot is still fine: Look, Man City in the Champions League is all about the knockout rounds and City is too good to worry about qualifying. Maybe clubs who play them twice a year will have answers, but Porto couldn’t keep the ball and needed a pretty bad error and delightful bit of technique to open the scoring.
2. The future winks: Silky interplay between Phil Foden and Ferran Torres recalled what we’ve seen so many times between David Silva and Raheem Sterling as City put the game away with a dynamite goal late.
Phil Foden ➡️ Ferran Torres 💥 pic.twitter.com/3X4oCOl1Og
— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) October 21, 2020
3. Fernandinho injury one to watch: The Brazilian came off in the 90th minute for John Stones, and his steel still matters to City’s biggest goals (especially in this competition).
Man of the Match
Gundogan.
Manchester City - Porto recap
Porto took a surprise lead after a Ruben Dias pass was intercepted by Mateus Uribe, who quickly found Diaz for a rapid, powerful dribble left to right across the top of the box before firing across goal and inside the far post.
City snapped to life with a drive into the 18 of their own, Raheem Sterling blocked by Pepe after a pair of close calls. It withstood a long check by VAR and Aguero hammered his penalty through the keeper’s dive.
The scares weren’t over for City, as Kyle Walker needed a goal line clearances to keep it 1-1 at the break.
Agustin Marchesin flew left to stop an Ilkay Gundogan hammer as the match approached the hour mark.
City stood over a free kick from just off-center and beyond the arc in the 65th. Gundogan buried it.
Torres and Foden worked a 1-2 with the Spaniard doing the heavy lifting to hit the final goal of the game.
