Don't make Hulk angry! Everything Man City fans need to know about Porto
Manchester City visit Porto in the Europa League on Thursday. Here's everything you need to know about their opponents courtesy of The Sport Collective's Matt Ogborn.
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It wasn't that many years ago that Porto were struggling to match Benfica in the spotlight of the three European club competitions, despite a decent pedigree that included the 1987 European Cup win over Bayern Munich and 1984 European Cup Winners' Cup Final loss to Juventus.
However a certain Jose Mourinho took the reins on 23rd January 2002 and transformed the European bridesmaids into big-game players who consequently went on to lift the UEFA Cup and Champions League. Andre Villas-Boas then added the 2011 UEFA Cup before following Jose into a Stamford Bridge hot seat.
What can Roberto Mancini's title-chasing Manchester City expect from the Dragons under new boss Vítor Pereira when they clash in the Europa League on Thursday?
Tactics/Probable Line-up
Brazilian goalkeeper Helton has proved an assured replacement for Porto legend Vítor Baía since he became first choice in 2006 and he will not be intimidated by the likes of Edin Džeko, Sergio Aguero or Mario Balotelli when the City strikers invade the home box on Thursday night.
Samba international Danilo Luiz da Silva has come straight into the side at right-back since his January switch from Santos. He's very much in the club's recent tradition of quick, raiding right-sided defenders that includes the likes of Jose Bosingwa and Paulo Ferreira, so whoever starts for City on the left of midfield will have to track back.
French U21 international Eliaquim Mangala has formed a promising partnership with Brazilian Maicon since his Standard Liege summer switch, which will allow Uruguayan international Alvaro Pereira to speed up and down the left flank and trouble the City back four. Nicolás Otamendi and Rolando provide defensive cover at the moment.
The flair and steel in the Porto backline enables coach Pereira to field an enterprising front six that look to get at the rival defence from the outset with João Moutinho anchoring the midfield alongside Belgian Steven Defour, who is still bedding in following his Standard Liege move last August.
Persona non grata in Lisbon, following his controversial Sporting switch in the summer of 2010, Moutinho's marshalling allows the others to shine, with Lucho González coming to the fore. El Comandante arrived back on a free from Marseille a few weeks ago to unleash his wonderful array of passing again.
The other midfield selections will depend on how scared Pereira is of City's attacking threat. Brazilian Fernando Reges could provide defensive cover alongside Defour, with Colombian James Rodriguez or Silvestre Varela joining the front two from the wing as part of a three-pronged assault on the visitor's goal.
Austrian international Marc Janko was looked at by a number of top European clubs when he was plundering goals for Admira Wacker and Red Bull Salzburg on home soil. FC Twente finally took the gamble in 2010 and Janko scored a goal every other game before joining Porto last month.
With Hulk cutting in from the right and Rodriguez or Varela from the left, Pereira will be hoping that beanpole Janko can cause the City centre-backs a whole heap of problems. If not, raw recruit Kléber and Angolan striker Djalma can come off the bench to pose a different threat to whichever players Mancini opts for on what promises to be a fun night in Portugal.
Probable Line-up: Helton; Da Silva, Mangala, Maicon, A Pereira; Moutinho, Defour, Gonzalez; Varela, Hulk, Janko
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Star man
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Hulk
There was surprise in some quarters when the Primeira Liga champions managed to keep hold of Hulk in the summer, moving his potent strike partner Radamel Falcao on to Atlético Madrid instead. If Hulk was angry, you wouldn't know it. He has bagged 11 goals in 22 games this season to underpin their challenges on all fronts.
The former Japanese league sensation uses his burly 5ft 11in frame well to hold off opposition defenders and his deceptive speed is also an impressive asset. With a record of approximately one goal every two games since joining Porto in 2008 switch, he is not scoring for fun. However Hulk's powerful shot and ability to create chances for his team-mates certainly makes up for it.
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Recent Form
Pereira's troops have enjoyed a largely serene home campaign outside of their Champions League disappointment at the hands of Barcelona, Zenit St Petersburg and Apoel Nicosia. They racked up enough wins in the autumn to keep pace with Benfica at the top of the league table.
Since the turn of the year, though, they have struggled to match that with a lacklustre performance in the 0-0 away draw at Sporting LIsbon followed by expected wins over Rio Ave and V Guimaraes. The shock 3-1 reverse at Gil Vicente was soothed with a 4-0 home victory over Uniao Leiria, but City will be looking to seize on their mental fragility.
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Read more from Matt at The Sport Collective or follow @sportcollective on Twitter
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