Enzo Maresca said he liked the "boom-boom" of house music before the match, then enjoyed victory after his Manchester City side produced a gritty performance in heavy rain.
City had lost six of their past nine away games in the competition and were beaten in the 2021 Champions League final at this venue, so beating Porto and taking three points is a boost for the manager's early project.
A half-time altercation as players and staff headed to the tunnel may draw Uefa scrutiny. Images showed Rúben Dias placing a hand on what appeared to be Porto head coach Francesco Farioli. The defender did so as tempers frayed after a clash between Marc Guéhi and Gabriel Veiga that left Veiga with a head injury, though he continued.
When told of Dias's action, Maresca was visibly angry when asked if his captain would be spoken to, as it could cost City. "Probably, anyway you can ask what you want but how many times you see me or my bench or the guys that work with me stand up on the bench. Zero, for 95 minutes. How many times you see their bench?" he said.
Overall, the Italian should feel delighted. He has won all four of his opening games, maybe more than even the 46-year-old could have hoped for, with Erling Haaland's double maintaining the perfect start. Haaland is now third on City's all-time scoring chart with 167 goals after only four years, and has 59 in 59 Champions League matches.
Haaland said: "Amazing game, against the champions of Portugal. We have to deliver on the biggest stage and we did that tonight."
Maresca gave Ayyoub Bouaddi a full debut alongside Enzo Fernández in midfield, and the 18-year-old Moroccan impressed, though a failure to find Haaland brought a reprimand. "I told the chairman [Khaldoon al-Mubarak] we've got a gem there," said Haaland. "But he should've played me through in the second half, I was all alone. I was a bit angry so I'll tell him right now – but he played a good game, except that pass."
Initially, Porto allowed City to pass the ball around without much speed or penetration. Farioli's men showed how when Guéhi's pass short-changed Bouaddi, possession was stolen, and suddenly William Gomes had to be stopped on the edge of City's area. Earlier, Veiga sliced through and forced Gianluigi Donnarumma into a save, though the offside flag went up. These were two warnings.
Maresca's message may have been to discard the ponderous pace, because when Phil Foden switched flanks from the right and accelerated, Porto were opened up, and Haaland's header from the cross required Diogo Costa to keep the contest goalless.
A near carbon copy came when Antoine Semenyo lifted the ball over from the left, but this time Haaland's header sailed over. City were warming up, with Foden, Rayan Cherki and Haaland all denied as Porto were pinned back around their area.
At Leicester and then Chelsea, Maresca drew criticism for a quasi-sideways style. Yet tonight's XI had become direct and a threat, as when Bouaddi chipped the ball left from near halfway, it went forward at speed, and a panicked Porto cleared.
When Veiga went down after the challenge with Guéhi, the match was halted and the discord that continued to the tunnel area started.
Yet after the seemingly customary fireworks before every Champions League game, Porto had begun with sky-high confidence after winning all five of their Primeira Liga matches, so they remained content as they walked off.
The mood changed instantly on their return. City finally showed the ruthlessness needed at this level. Cherki broke into the area, swerved left, leaving Costa stranded. He fed Fernández, and Haaland headed the delivery into the turf and home, giving the visitors a priceless lead.
What would be Porto's response? They roved upfield and went close to an equaliser, a consequence of City's openness, as when André Silva had plenty of time to cut right and shoot
