Champions League: Manchester City come back for 3-1 win over Porto

Manchester City got here from behind to make a profitable begin in Champions League Group C on Wednesday with a 3-1 victory over Porto on the Etihad Stadium. City had fallen behind to a tremendous 14th-minute solo strike from Luis Diaz however a Sergio Aguero penalty introduced them stage earlier than second-half targets from Ilkay Gundogan and Ferran Torres secured the win.

Pep Guardiola’s facet, defeated within the quarter-finals final season, struggled to search out their fluidity within the opening 45 minutes however as Porto drained after the break, City’s high quality proved sufficient.

“If I’m being honest we are struggling at the moment,” mentioned German midfielder Gundogan. “Fernandinho went off at the end, we have players playing in different positions. I am not 100% there because I had Covid, we are not all at the same moment. That is the challenge for this season, it’s not going to end for a while.”

Porto grabbed the lead when City’s Ruben Dias, a current signing from Benfica, gave away the ball and Colombian winger Diaz lower in from the left, burst diagonally throughout the City defence and shot into the far backside nook of Ederson’s objective.

The house facet have been quickly again on stage phrases although when, after Gundogan had struck the publish, Porto defender Pepe bundled over Raheem Sterling within the ensuing scramble and Aguero transformed the following penalty.

City have been removed from their flowing finest however went in entrance within the 65th minute with an ideal, curling free kick from Gundogan over the wall and past the attain of Porto keeper Agustin Marchesin. Substitutes Torres and Phil Foden then mixed to make it 3-1, with the Spaniard accumulating a return move from the England midfielder earlier than gliding into house and driving a right-foot shot into the far nook.

City’s Brazilian midfielder Fernandinho, introduced on within the 85th minute, limped off in stoppage time with what gave the impression to be a muscle damage. Porto stay and not using a win in 21 video games in England, a run which has seen them handle simply three attracts.