FC Porto were defeated 2-0 by Manchester City in a pre-season friendly at the Estádio do Dragão. Both goals for the English side were scored by Erling Haaland in the second half.
The match served as a test for the Dragons, who head into the new season leading the Primeira Liga with 15 points from five wins in five games. Sérgio Conceição's team holds a two-point lead over Sporting CP and has an impressive record of 11 goals scored and just one conceded. Their next official fixture is on September 12th, away to Casa Pia, who sit 18th in the standings.
Manchester City controlled the attacking play, especially in the first half, but found the Porto goal a tough nut to crack. Diogo Costa made two important saves from Erling Haaland efforts before the break. The Portuguese goalkeeper also denied a clear chance for Rayan Cherki, keeping the scoreline level at halftime.
The English pressure eventually paid off after the restart. Striker Erling Haaland found the net on two occasions, sealing the final result for the visitors. City's head coach, Enzo Maresca, remarked after the game that his team "could have scored more goals, especially in the first half. But we deserved to win the game."
Enzo Maresca acknowledged the difficulty of the challenge at the Dragão, stating it's normal to "concede some noises" at Porto's stadium. The Italian manager said his team created enough chances to win and did not concede many opportunities, though he admitted some mistakes allowed dangerous actions from the Dragons.
Maresca highlighted that the collective, which has been working together for just a month and a half, is trying to implement different tactical things. He mentioned that when there is space behind the defence, the team must exploit it due to the threat of players like Haaland, Antoine Semenyo, Jeremy Doku, and Ili Ndiaye. However, he conceded they need to improve in the final third and play those through balls more slowly.
Commentator Alan Shearer, who covered the match for Amazon Prime, was more critical of Manchester City's attitude after taking the lead. The former England striker described Maresca's team's response to going 1-0 up as "weak". This perspective contrasts with the general satisfaction expressed by the Italian coach with his team's overall performance.
FC Porto's focus now returns to domestic competition, where they are defending a perfect start. The team travels to face Casa Pia next Saturday, September 12th, in a match from the sixth round of the Primeira Liga. The Dragons aim to maintain their solitary lead and winning rhythm before the break for international competitions. All fixture details are available in our fixtures section.
