Haaland's double fuels Manchester City’s smooth start at Porto

Erling Haaland struck twice at Lisbon’s Estadio do Dragao, taking his season tally to five goals as Manchester City opened their Champions League campaign with a comfortable victory over Porto. The Norwegian forward’s header and low finish sealed the win for the English side on a bright Match Day.

Porto’s early resistance

Enzo Maresca’s City arrived in control, having begun the Premier League season with three straight wins and fielding teenager Ayyoub Bouaddi on his first start. Porto goalkeeper Diogo Costa impressed in the first half, denying Haaland twice with reflex saves and also keeping out efforts from Antoine Semenyo and Phil Foden.

Francesco Farioli’s side, unbeaten in five league games, struggled to find a foothold, failing to register a single shot in the opening 45 minutes. Alan Varela curled a near‑miss after City fell behind, while William Gomes also struck wide, leaving Gianluigi Donnarumma on the bench.

City seal the win

Haaland opened the scoring with a towering header, assisted by a precise cross from Enzo Fernandez. He doubled the lead with a low strike after a quick counter‑attack, confirming his dominance in the second half. Porto never threatened again, and the result means the 2004 champions have won only two of their past 17 games against English teams in European competition.

City will be aiming to lift the Champions League trophy for the first time since their treble‑winning campaign in 2023, after being knocked out by Real Madrid in each of the past three seasons. The win also adds to Haaland’s impressive European record – 36 Champions League goals in just 40 appearances for City.

Earlier on Saturday, Haaland had also been the match winner against Coventry, netting a header and a low finish to reach 36 Champions League goals. His form underlines the striker’s importance as Manchester City look ahead to the next round.

Player ratings highlighted Matheus Nunes’s assured performance, captain Ruben Dias’s solidity, and the confident showing of Bouaddi, who at 18 did not look out of place in Europe. Donnarumma was booked for catching Pepe when jumping off his line, while a wayward clearance struck William Gomes and rebounded narrowly wide.