Bouaddi's composed Champions League debut helps City seal 2-0 win at Porto

Ayyoub Bouaddi marked his first Champions League start with a commanding display as Manchester City beat Porto 2-0 on Tuesday, with manager Enzo Maresca singling out the 18-year-old for praise and crediting the club’s determination to sign him for up to £85m in the summer.

Lille had been reluctant to sell the French midfielder and held out for a significant fee before City ultimately paid up, convinced Bouaddi was ready to contribute immediately. The teenager had been eased into life at the Etihad — coming off the bench against Crystal Palace and Coventry — but was handed his first start in Porto with the pressure of a tense European away fixture on his shoulders.

Far from wilting, Bouaddi was one of the calmest players on the pitch as Porto pushed for a way back into the game. Elliot Anderson also came on in the final 30 minutes, meaning Maresca was able to call on all three of his major summer signings in the same match.

“He’s very good, first of all. Against Coventry, he lost two balls and after he lost two balls he was inside our box with calm. This shows how good he is because any players after two passes you panic but he is just 18 and is a fantastic player,” Maresca said.

The City manager admitted the teenager’s maturity had exceeded even his own expectations. “Tonight he was very good — you expect from Erling, Ruben, Mateo that they can manage these kind of games better, but you don’t expect it from a guy of 18. I didn’t see him panic.”

Maresca also highlighted the broader profile that made Bouaddi such an attractive target. “He can speak French, English, Spanish perfectly. He is different in terms of how mature he is, and this is why the club had made the effort to bring him here with us.”

The win represents Maresca’s most significant result since taking charge at City, and he was keen to acknowledge the role the club’s hierarchy played in assembling his squad. “The club has made a fantastic effort to bring these three players — now it’s on me to allow them to work in the right way and use them.”

With Nico O’Reilly having pulled up in the warm-up at the weekend and Enzo Fernandez starting in Porto ahead of Bouaddi, the competition for midfield places at the Etihad is already fierce — but on this evidence, the teenager looks well equipped to handle it.