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When Ferran Torres intercepted a Phil Foden pass and moved inside a Porto defender to score high on goal with his right foot with just over a quarter of an hour to go, Pep Guardiola celebrated with enthusiasm. He said a lot about the importance of this victory.
There will be bigger challenges ahead for Guardiola’s City in the Premier League and this competition as well. But this was a victory that City needed as they looked to give their early-season efforts a little boost.
It hasn’t been easy so far. A belated return to training due to his involvement in the latter stages of the Champions League last season has been followed by some injuries and has in turn led to some indifferent performances. The city has sometimes been left to look and feel a little out of place.
Manchester City survived an early scare in the Champions League on Wednesday night to beat FC Porto 3-1 at the Etihad.
One of City’s summer signings, Ferran Torres, celebrates his team’s third goal against Porto to crown a good second half
City’s Ilkay Gundogan scored the hosts’ goal of the night when he sent a free kick into the upper corner of Porto’s goal
But this was much better, this was the kind of evening they needed. This was a test that a Porto team gave them that did not lack ambition. The Portuguese champions had some rhythm at half-time and with that a threat. They too took the lead, and if they had stayed in front for more than a few minutes it would have been interesting to see how City would have responded.
As it was, City leveled off almost immediately and perhaps that was the crucial moment of the game. In the second half, they were comfortably superior and could have scored more. Still, three were enough and, after the disappointment of the August quarter-final loss to Lisbon, City may start to come through a failure that Guardiola admitted this week still bothers him.
At first, City seemed a bit vulnerable. If they have a modern weakness, it is likely a vulnerability for teams capable of fighting back on the beat. There has been a lot of that from Porto here and in the 14th minute they scored.
The role played by City’s new defensive signing Ruben Dias was undeniable as he passed the ball directly to Porto’s Mattheus Uribe within his own half. As soon as Uribe passed five yards to teammate Luis Díaz, City got into trouble.
The young Colombian didn’t actually fool any of City’s defenders with a trick as he worked his way across the top of the penalty area from left to right, but he was so fast that he didn’t have to. He basically bypassed them all with his speed and when he flew past Joao Cancelo, he was able to drive a low shot through Ederson and into the far corner with his right foot.
It was a super goal and while City’s Dias was guilty, that shouldn’t detract from the brilliance of what followed. It was a shame for the Portuguese, then, that they gave City a totally unnecessary penalty almost immediately.
Ilkay Gundogan’s run in the penalty area nearly resulted in a goal, but when the ball was loose from the post, veteran Porto defender Pepe simply ran to Raheem Sterling and wrapped it up. Replays showed that Gundogan may have fouled goalkeeper Agustin Marchesin on his way into the area and he certainly made contact with his opponent’s shin. But the VAR chose not to intervene and Agüero scored low to Marchesin’s right from the penalty spot.
For a time, the city still seemed vulnerable. Ederson presented the ball to Uribe, who fired recklessly and then just before half-time Kyle Walker had to clear from the line after another error by Dias.
Porto would certainly have come looking for a point, but seemed to have a little more insight. Gundogan ruined all of that when he won and made a beautiful free kick in the 65th minute and once again Porto looked at the referee. It was not certain that Fabio Vieira’s challenge at the Gundogan at 25 yards was actually a foul.
A clinical goal by Luis Díaz del Porto, after a slalom race that separated the Manchester City defense, finds the net
Diaz punches the air in celebration after giving his team the lead 14 minutes into the tie at Etihad Stadium on Wednesday.
Shortly after Porto took the lead, veteran defender Pepe fouled Raheem Sterling inside the penalty area.
Pepe admonishes referee Andris Treimanis after sanctioning the penalty to the Portuguese central defender
In the absence of Kevin De Bruyne, Sergio Agüero stepped up and took his penalty to put City back on level
Porto goalkeeper Augustin Marchesin got it right but couldn’t stop the Argentine international from scoring
But City didn’t look back once they got ahead and the freshness of a double substitution served to open Porto once again with Foden and Torres combined.
Excited as ever, Guardiola verbally confronted Porto coach Sergio Concelcao late in the game after Pepe was reprimanded for breaking into Sterling, accusing him of throwing himself and then shoving his knee towards the City captain as he lay on the floor .
Pepe had endured an erratic night to say the least and could have easily been expelled. Some things in European football do not change.
Agüero celebrates with midfielder Rodri after scoring the tying goal in the City Champions League Group C tie
Sterling shows his frustration after another City opportunity goes to beg in a difficult first half against the Portuguese team
The city’s coach, Pep Guardiola, shouts instructions to his players during a tough match in the Champions League group stage
Sterling tries to break into Porto’s penalty area flanked by Chancel Mbemba (left) and Wilson Manafa.
Ilkay Gundogan sends a free kick with his right foot from 25 meters towards the goal after Fabio Viera knocked him down
Gundogan is harassed by his City teammates after putting Guardiola’s team in front for the first time on Wednesday night.
Torres lost his balance after making contact with the ball, but then saw his shot shoot towards Porto’s upper left corner.
