Man City Player Ratings vs. Porto: Haaland Spares Subpar Cityzens

Enzo Maresca’s first European match as Manchester City manager ended with a 2–0 victory over Porto courtesy of Erling Haaland’s brace.

Frustration was the overriding emotion for the Cityzens during the first half in Portugal as they failed to capitalize on their territorial dominance. A stream of promising chances came and went as Porto goalkeeper Diogo Costa proved a formidable presence, with Haaland, Rayan Cherki and Phil Foden all rebuffed.

Haaland spurned several chances during the first half, but the Norwegian was back to his ruthless best after the restart. A header just two minutes into the second half offered City a much-needed buffer, before he wrapped up three precious points with a tidy finish from inside the penalty area in stoppage time.

Maresca won’t have been enamored by his side’s unremarkable display which lacked finesse at key moments, but a winning start to City’s Champions League campaign is all that matters in the end.

One Thing We Can’t Ignore

The Cityzens made nine signings during their summer rebuild, but only two started the trip to the Estádio do Dragão: Ayyoub Bouaddi and Enzo Fernández.

The engine room was the main focus of City’s overhaul as $436 million was splashed on new midfielders, and Maresca is still learning its best configuration. Elliot Anderson, who has made an encouraging start in light blue, dropped to the bench from the weekend victory over Coventry City, allowing Bouaddi and Fernández an opportunity to audition.

For Bouaddi, this was a first start for his new employers, and there were no signs of nerves. As regularly seen with Morocco at the World Cup, the teenager is ice cold in possession and always eager to provide an option for his teammates. He completed 98% of his passes, made five defensive contributions and regularly stepped free from Porto’s high press. It’s hard to believe he’s just 18 years old.

Fernández produced a similarly convincing showing, bounding around the midfield with vim and vigor. While there is much more to come from the Argentine, especially if he’s unleashed further up the pitch, this was a step in the right direction, and a display which yielded his first goal involvement of the season.

City’s midfield remains a work in progress, but they were the best aspect of an unconvincing performance.

Man City Player Ratings vs. Porto (4-2-3-1)

Erling Haaland — Another game, another goal for Haaland. | Clive Brunskill/Getty Images

*Ratings provided by FotMob*

GK: Gianluigi Donnarumma—6.7: The Italian’s performance was slightly more attractive than the hideous goalkeeper jersey he was donning, but there were still some nervous moments which offered Porto encouragement.

RB: Matheus Nunes—7.2: The former Sporting CP defender was offered few scares on his first start of the season.

CB: Marc Guéhi—7.8: There were brief questions over a possible red card when Guéhi’s forearm collided with Gabri Veiga’s face, but there was no malicious intent from the center half.

CB: Rúben Dias—7.3: Porto caused very few issues for City’s defense, resulting in a straightforward outing for their captain.

LB: Joško Gvardiol—7.2: Harried throughout by William Gomes and endured some awkward moments as a result. Booked for one altercation with the Brazilian and was then withdrawn very early in the second half.

CM: Ayyoub Bouaddi—7.4: The Moroccan produced a sumptuous performance in the middle of the field, seldom misplacing a pass or losing a challenge.

CM: Enzo Fernández—8.4: While not Fernández at his peak, the World Cup winner conjured a solid display and an important assist.

RW: Phil Foden—7.1: Always more threatening when drifting into central areas and City were at their sharpest when the Englishman was on the ball.

AM: Rayan Cherki—7.2: Despite being involved in City’s opener, this was one of Cherki’s less effective displays. Moments of genius were few and far between.

LW: Antoine Semenyo—6.9: Uncharacteristically erratic in the final third and guilty of squandering some promising openings. Deservedly hooked just after the hour-mark.

ST: Erling Haaland—8.9: Haaland became City’s third leading goalscorer of all time with his clinical brace. Only 93 strikes to go before matching current record holder Sergio Agüero.

SUB: Abdukodir Khusanov (48’ for Gvardiol)—6.4: Never required to escape second gear.

SUB: Elliot Anderson (62’ for Cherki)—7.2: Offered some protection in the midfield as Porto threatened to gain control.

SUB: Iliman Ndiaye (62’ for Semenyo)—6.2: An unspectacular cameo.

SUB: Mateo Kovačić (76’ for Bouaddi)—6.7: Helped City over the line.

SUB: Rayan Aït-Nouri (76’ for Foden)—7.3: Assisted Haaland’s second strike.

Subs not used: Gerónimo Rulli (GK), Marcus Bettinelli (GK), Rico Lewis, Vitor Reis, Allan, Ryan McAidoo.

What the Ratings Tell Us

Antoine Semenyo was below his best. | Zed Jameson/PA Images/Getty Images

Once again, Haaland delivered the goods for City. This was hardly his most clinical display as several enticing opportunities were passed up, yet he walked away with two goals to his name. The first was a towering header and the second a typically clinical finish with his weaker right boot.
City’s forward line were guilty of being too ponderous for large stretches of Tuesday’s encounter. Antoine Semenyo was particularly wasteful with both his dribbles and deliveries into the area, while Cherki was operating a few levels below his usual standards.
As was the case against Coventry at the weekend, Maresca’s men struggled to deliver a hugely convincing display, but his defense did at least restrict Porto to half-chances at most. Marc Guéhi and Rúben Dias were authoritative in the heart of City’s backline and completely nullified the hosts.

The Numbers That Explain Man City’s Hard-Fought Win

City were below their best during their Champions League opener, but they were still able to unpick Porto on plenty of occasions. They mustered 2.29 expected goals, 10 shots on target and five big chances.
At the other end of the field, City’s defense held firm despite some brief periods of Porto pressure. They allowed just 0.22 xG and Donnarumma made it through the match without making a save.

Statistic	Porto	Man City
Possession	36%	64%
Expected Goals (xG)	0.22	2.29
Total Shots	5	20
Shots on Target	0	10
Big Chances	0	6
Pass Accuracy	81%	92%
Fouls Committed	10	17
Corners	2	5

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