Man City Opens Champions League Campaign at Porto

Manchester City begins its 2026-27 UEFA Champions League campaign on Tuesday, September 8, 2026, facing FC Porto in the opening match of the new league phase format. Under new manager Enzo Maresca, City aims for a strong start in a competition that has seen significant structural changes. The Champions League has adopted a 36-team league phase, where each club plays eight matches against different opponents. Points earned will determine progression: the top eight teams will directly qualify for the Round of 16, teams finishing between ninth and 24th will enter a knockout playoff round, and those from 25th to 36th will be eliminated. Manchester City cannot qualify for the next stage or be eliminated based on the result of this single match, but securing points is crucial for their final standing. City enters the fixture with a perfect record in their domestic Premier League season, having won all three of their opening matches. However, manager Enzo Maresca stressed the need for an "perfect" performance against Porto, acknowledging the difficulty of playing away in Europe. "This is a hard place to come to.