FCPPortoClub page
MCIMan CityClub page
Squad value€451.3m
Squad value€1.32bn
Key playerVictor Froholdt
Key playerErling Haaland
Head coachFrancesco Farioli
Head coachEnzo Maresca
Porto break fast and Man City leave a high line to break into.
Nobody has scored against them yet this season. If you want a goal against Porto you will have to be near perfect, because they give almost nothing away.
“Isto só no campeonato, porque, na verdade, contando com a Supertaça, são cinco jogos sem sofrer golos.”And that is in the league alone, because in fact, counting the Super Cup, it is five games without conceding a goal. our translation
Both wingers stay high and wide and keep running at the full-back. They rarely come inside to knock it about — the first thought is straight at goal.
“Joga com dois extremos muito irrequietos, verticais, muito profundos”They play with two very restless wingers, direct, going very deep our translation
They tend to strike early and then settle. Watch the opening twenty minutes — if they get in front, the game usually goes quiet after that because they are happy to control it.
“Convertemos logo as nossas primeiras oportunidades em golo e fomos muito felizes a finalizar.”We turned our very first chances straight into goals and we were very sharp in front of goal. our translation
All that possession does not always turn into shots yet. There are spells where City pass and pass around the edge of the box and never really threaten.
“Erling Haaland's crop is not the only new look at City this season but, on occasions, there were passages of play with lots of possession and little punch, a familiar pattern from Maresca's time at Leicester City and Chelsea.”City will hog the ball for long stretches, shuffling it side to side and pushing players up until you are pinned in your own half.
“Large swathes of possession are needed to gain the control he wants, and from a 4-2-3-1 base you will see Man City in a 3-2-2-3 shape when building attacks on the ball.”They deliberately crowd the middle of the pitch so their wingers are left standing alone by the touchline. Watch for a winger taking on a defender one against one.
“Maresca loves to pack out central areas to free up his wingers for 1v1s or 2v1s, so he will be thrilled to have Antoine Semenyo and Jeremy Doku at his disposal.”