Manchester City start Erling Haaland against Porto in Champions League opener

Manchester City manager Enzo Maresca has named Erling Haaland in attack for his side’s Champions League group-stage meeting with Portuguese club Porto.

The match is Manchester City’s opening fixture in the group stage of the competition and will be played at Dragao Stadium in Lisbon.

Haaland leads the City attack in a starting line-up that also includes Rayan Cherki and Antoine Semenyo. Phil Foden is listed in midfield alongside Enzo Fernandez and Ayyoub Bouaddi.

Gianluigi Donnarumma starts in goal, with Josko Gvardiol, Marc Guehi, Ruben Dias and Matheus Nunes forming the defence.

Manchester City’s starting line-up is:

Goalkeeper: Gianluigi Donnarumma

Defenders: Josko Gvardiol, Marc Guehi, Ruben Dias, Matheus Nunes

Midfielders: Ayyoub Bouaddi, Enzo Fernandez, Phil Foden

Forwards: Rayan Cherki, Antoine Semenyo, Erling Haaland

The fixture against Porto begins City’s campaign in a group that also contains Paris Saint-Germain of France, Barcelona of Spain, Sporting CP of Portugal, Napoli of Italy, RB Leipzig of Germany, AEK Athens of Greece and Lens of France.

City therefore face opponents from a broad range of European leagues during the group stage, including two other Portuguese sides in Porto and Sporting CP. Their schedule also includes meetings with Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona, as well as Napoli, RB Leipzig, AEK Athens and Lens.

Porto’s group-stage opponents include Manchester City and Liverpool from England. The Portuguese club will also face PSV Eindhoven and Feyenoord of the Netherlands, Napoli of Italy, Real Betis of Spain, Slavia Prague of the Czech Republic and LASK of Austria.

The match brings together two clubs whose group-stage schedules overlap with several of the same opponents. Both Manchester City and Porto are due to play Napoli, while City also meet Sporting CP and Porto face Liverpool among their respective fixtures.

Haaland’s inclusion gives Manchester City a recognised focal point in attack for their first European match of the campaign. The Norway international is joined in the forward line by Cherki and Semenyo, while Foden is positioned among the midfielders selected by Maresca.

City’s defence is built around Ruben Dias, with Gvardiol, Guehi and Nunes completing the back four in front of Donnarumma. In midfield, Fernandez and Bouaddi accompany Foden as the team begins its Champions League group-stage programme against Porto.