Porto vs Manchester City Odds and Preview: Champions League Group Stage Matchday 5

• It’s UEFA Champions League Matchday 5 this week with Porto entertaining Manchester City in Group C
• City have already qualified for the knockout phase but Porto need a point to be sure
• We list the odds, preview the game and offer some best bets here

Matchday 5 of the 2020-21 UEFA Champions League is incoming, with games on Tuesday and Wednesday this week. Group C already looks to be sewn up by Manchester City, who have a 100-percent record from their four games, but on Tuesday, December, KO 3:00 pm EST, they travel to Porto who still have work to do to confirm their place in the knockout phase.

We’ve listed the odds, previewed the game, and offer a best bet below.

Porto vs Manchester City UCL Odds

All odds taken Nov 30 at DraftKings

Job Done for City

Manchester City have already secured themselves a safe passage through to the knockout phase of this competition after a perfect four-wins-from-four start to their Champions League campaign. As a result, they have total control of Group C, which if they win will give them a favorable draw for the first knockout round in February.

With two games still to go and their progression to the next phase already assured, City manager Pep Guardiola may take the opportunity to give game time to some of his fringe players but he’ll still want to, at the very least, avoid defeat in Portugal.

HAPPY PLACE 🏟

🔷 #ManCity | https://t.co/axa0klD5re pic.twitter.com/z0S3Tnss7Z

— Manchester City (@ManCity) November 28, 2020

Porto Almost There

Porto have also had a fine start to their UCL campaign with their only defeat being the 3-1 reverse they suffered at the Etihad. As a result, just three points separate them and table-topping City and so a win would take them level, albeit they currently have an inferior goal difference.

If Porto can’t win the game a draw will suffice because a single point would still be enough to confirm their involvement in the knockout stages. Equally, their safe passage will be assured if Olympiacos fail to beat bottom-of-the-table Marseille in the other Group C match. It all looks positive for Porto coach Sergio Conceicao, but he will want his team to get the job done without any last-round dramas.

⚽ Amanhã regressa a @championsleague 💪
🔜 FC Porto-Manchester City FC ⌚ 20h#FCPorto #FCPMCFC #UCL pic.twitter.com/8p9g9qC8z3

— FC Porto (@FCPorto) November 30, 2020

Porto vs Manchester City Head-to-Head Stats

City Struggles in EPL

While City are flying in the UCL, domestically they have been having an unusually tough time and are currently down in 10th place in the EPL. They did however get back to winning ways at the weekend by beating Burnley 5-0 but a 4-3-2 record is almost unheard of in the Pep Guardiola era. While they are still only six points behind EPL leader Tottenham and with a game in hand, this could be the season where resources are directed at winning the Champions League; the one prize that has so far alluded them and the one their owner Sheikh Mansour treasures the most.

We've been drawn at home against Birmingham City in the #FACup Third Round 🏆

Ties will be played between Friday 8 January – Monday 11 January.

Happy with that?

🔷 #ManCity | https://t.co/axa0klD5re pic.twitter.com/Eh8KQk9jjv

— Manchester City (@ManCity) November 30, 2020

Porto In Good Shape

Porto’s domestic form has been good but not exceptional and they currently sit third in the Primeira Liga, six points adrift of current leaders Sporting Lisbon. While they have been full of goals – 19 scored in their eight league games – they also have the worst defensive record in the top half of the table after conceding ten. This will be an area of concern for Conceição ahead of City’s visit, especially after the visitors’ exploits at the weekend, but Porto did warm up nicely for this tie with a thumping 4-1 away success at Santa Clara.

⏱Final de Jogo / End of the match / Final del Partido

🔵⚪CD Santa Clara 0-1 FC Porto
⚽45+2' Luis Díaz#FCPorto #CDSCFCP pic.twitter.com/DXDYg198Kw

— FC Porto (@FCPorto) November 28, 2020

While City are renowned as a free-scoring team that’s easy on the eye, there has been a slight change in emphasis this season with, prior to the weekend, the Citizens hitting just five goals in their previous six league games. The win over Burnley may just have opened the floodgates but until then goals had been unusually hard to come by in the EPL. The flip side however is a much meaner defense, with four goals conceded in the EPL and just one in their UCL campaign which, so far, has included three clean sheets.

Guardiola Big Guns?

Much will depend on the team that Guardiola selects but I’m not expecting him to use all of his big guns. As a result, there is value in the +280 for the draw, which is well worth considering, but I’m going for a narrow City win to maintain their 100-percent record.

Pick: Porto 1 Man City 2 (+650)