Supporters of Manchester City and Chelsea began to gather in Porto on Friday on the eve of the all-English Champions League final, with little sign of the stringent Covid-19 restrictions that authorities had promised.

The fans enjoyed the sunny cafe terraces in a relaxed atmosphere as they became some of the first to arrive in the northern Portuguese city.

The bulk of the supporters will arrive from England on Saturday on 80 charter flights and then 180 coaches laid on to take them to city centre from the airport.

The final was moved from Istanbul to Porto because, unlike Turkey, Portugal is on the British government's "green list", meaning supporters will not have to quarantine on their return home.

Up to 16,500 spectators will be allowed into the Estadio do Dragao for the match, around a third of its normal capacity, because of social distancing measures.

Spectators "will require proof of a negative Covid-19 test" to enter the stadium.

In the city itself, despite warnings that spectators would be kept apart from local residents, they were able to move about freely.

There was no sign of a repetition of the scuffles that had broken out on Thursday between police and Manchester City fans in the Ribeira district on the banks of the Douro.

City supporter Ben Green, holding a flag featuring the club's young English midfield star Phil Foden, said Saturday would be "the biggest night in the history of City".

The club's big-spending Abu Dhabi owners have helped the club coached by Pep Guardiola to win five Premier League titles since 2012, including this year's title.

But City have never won the Champions League.

John Allen, a 57-year-old council worker from Bury near Manchester, said he was delighted the match would not be played behind closed doors.

"Without supporters, football is just dull," he said.

Dylan Stadler had made the long journey from Cape Town in South Africa with three friends to cheer on Chelsea.

"It's the first time I'm going to see a game in Europe, it will be exciting and I hope to come back with the trophy," he said.

Robert Woods, 74, has supported Chelsea since the 1950s and was in Munich to see the club win their first Champions League in 2012.

Woods, who has to use a disability scooter, said: "Now that I am here I hope Chelsea will win 3-1!"

Police spotters, trained to identify known troublemakers, are travelling with the supporters from England.