Maresca praises teenage Bouaddi after Manchester City’s Champions League win at Porto

Manchester City began their Champions League campaign with a convincing 2-0 victory over Porto at the Estadio do Dragao, with Ayoub Bouaddi earning particular praise from Enzo Maresca after an assured performance in midfield.

Erling Haaland’s decisive second-half brace secured the result, but it was the display of Morocco international Bouaddi that attracted significant attention. The 18-year-old made his first start in the competition and appeared completely comfortable in a demanding away fixture.

Bouaddi completed 54 of his 55 passes and won back possession seven times before being replaced by Mateo Kovacic in the 76th minute. His composure and accuracy stood out during a match in which Manchester City had to manage the challenge of playing in a difficult European environment.

Maresca was pleased with the collective determination shown by his team and used his post-match assessment to underline the quality and depth available within his squad.

“I think we were able to score more goals, especially in the first half, but overall I think we deserved to win the game,” the Italian manager told Amazon Prime.

He added: “We created enough chances to win the game. We did not concede many goals. It is normal to concede some chances here, so I am happy with the performance overall.

“I think I am lucky because all of the players in the squad are good. That makes it easier for the manager because he can give all of them minutes, and I think the players who came on tonight were excellent.”

Maresca then turned his attention to Bouaddi’s calm performance on the European stage, describing the teenager’s contribution as remarkable. The manager said he had expected players with greater experience to control the match in the way Bouaddi managed to do.

“The good thing is that you expect Erling Haaland, Ruben Dias and Mateo Kovacic to know how to manage this type of game, but Ayoub Bouaddi was never confused,” Maresca said.

“He was very good, and I think the performance was amazing.”

Bouaddi’s statistics reflected the control he brought to the midfield. His passing figures showed a high level of efficiency, while his seven recoveries demonstrated his contribution when Manchester City did not have possession.

Those numbers helped underline why Maresca was so impressed by the youngster’s performance in his first start. Despite his age, Bouaddi was able to play a prominent role in a testing Champions League match away from home, while Haaland provided the finishing touch with two goals after the interval.

Manchester City ultimately left Porto with a comfortable two-goal victory, while Maresca’s comments highlighted both the individual impact of Bouaddi and the strength of the wider squad. The manager said the ability to rely on players across the team had made it possible to rotate his options while maintaining the team’s overall level.

For Bouaddi, the match marked an important opportunity to demonstrate his ability at the highest level. He responded with a disciplined and confident display that placed him alongside the more established names praised by Maresca after the final whistle.