Manchester City boss Enzo Maresca was delighted with his team as they picked up an important 2-0 win at Porto in the Champions League
PORTO, PORTUGAL - SEPTEMBER 08: Enzo Maresca, coach of Manchester City looks on prior to the UEFA Champions League 2026/27 League Phase MD1 match between FC Porto and Manchester City at Estadio do Dragao on September 08, 2026 in Porto, Portugal. (Photo by Bruno Penas/Quality Sport Images/Getty Images)
PORTO, PORTUGAL - SEPTEMBER 08: Enzo Maresca, coach of Manchester City looks on prior to the UEFA Champions League 2026/27 League Phase MD1 match between FC Porto and Manchester City at Estadio do Dragao on September 08, 2026 in Porto, Portugal. (Photo by Bruno Penas/Quality Sport Images/Getty Images)
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Enzo Maresca thanked his Manchester City bosses for bringing a teenager that is mature beyond his years to the Etihad this season. Lille desperately wanted to keep Ayyoub Bouaddi for another year and held out for a mammoth fee to sell him, but the Blues paid up to £85m because of their conviction that the midfielder was immediately ready to step into their squad.
City have eased the 18-year-old in, only bringing him off the bench against Crystal Palace and Coventry even when Nico O'Reilly pulled up in the warm-up at the weekend; Enzo Fernandez started instead, and kept his place on Tuesday as Bouaddi made his first start in a tense Champions League night at Porto.
Maresca needed his players to keep their heads as Porto turned up the pressure and Bouaddi was one of the calmest on the pitch as he dictated the game and helped lay a platform for Maresca's biggest win so far in his City tenure. With Elliot Anderson coming on to help out in the final 30 minutes, the City boss was able to call on his big three summer transfers and was left surprised by just how well Bouaddi fared.
"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," he said.
"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. Congratulations to Ayyoub, and this is why he's here with us.
"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 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."
Enzo Fernandez
Enzo Fernandez has signed for Manchester City(Man City)