Manchester City manager Enzo Maresca has praised 18-year-old Moroccan midfielder Ayoub Bouadi after the teenager produced an impressive performance in his first full appearance for the club in the Champions League.
Bouadi played in the centre of midfield as Manchester City defeated Porto 2-0 at the Estadio do Dragão in their opening match of the competition.
The teenager’s composure was a particular source of satisfaction for Maresca, who highlighted Bouadi’s ability to remain calm despite the demands of playing at the highest level.
Maresca said City’s display was strong both in possession and without the ball throughout the match.
“It was a complete performance with and without the ball for the entire 95 minutes,” the manager said.
He added: “We could have scored more goals, especially in the first half, but overall I think we deserved to win the match.”
City created several opportunities during the contest and Maresca felt the result could have been more emphatic.
“We created enough chances to win the match. It’s normal to come here and let some chances go, because that’s normal, but overall I’m happy with the performance.”
The result gave Manchester City a positive start to their Champions League campaign, while Bouadi’s display provided another indication of the confidence the club has placed in the young midfielder.
Maresca impressed by City’s progress
Maresca also explained the approach he wants his players to take during matches.
“We try to be aggressive without the ball, and with the ball we try to plan how to win the game.”
The Italian manager believes the team is continuing to develop, although he said he prefers to assess that progress on a match-by-match basis.
“As far as we’re concerned, I don’t know. I can see from game to game that the team is improving.”
The manager also praised the strength of his squad and the options available to him.
“I think I’m lucky because all the players in the team are good, and for the coach, it’s easy because you can give them all minutes.”
He added: “Tonight, I think the players who were on the pitch were very good.”
Among those players, Bouadi stood out for his maturity.
Bouadi keeps his composure
Maresca said the teenager’s ability to remain calm was particularly impressive given his age and the magnitude of the occasion.
“The good thing is that you expect Erling Haaland, Ruben Dias and Mateo Kovacic to know how to manage this game, but Ayoub Bouadi never panicked.”
Bouadi was making his first full appearance at this level, yet Maresca said he showed qualities normally expected from much more experienced players.
“He was very good, and I think the performance was amazing.”
The manager also referred to Bouadi’s previous appearance against Coventry City, where the youngster had lost possession twice but responded by immediately working his way back into the penalty area.
“In the last match against Coventry City, he lost the ball twice, and then he came back into our penalty area and was calm.”
For Maresca, that reaction demonstrated an important quality in the young midfielder: the ability to recover from mistakes without allowing them to affect his confidence.
“This shows us how good this player is, because any other player, after losing the ball twice, would be worried, but he, despite still being 18 years old, is a very good player. Against Porto, he was very good, and you don’t expect a young player to perform like that, and this reveals to us why he is here.”
Impressive numbers against Porto
Bouadi’s performance was also reflected in his statistics.
The Moroccan completed 54 of his 55 attempted passes, underlining his accuracy and composure while operating in the middle of the pitch.
He also recovered possession seven times as City controlled the match and eventually secured a 2-0 victory.
Bouadi remained on the pitch until the 76th minute before being replaced by Croatia international Mateo Kovacic.
His display against Porto therefore gave Maresca plenty to praise, particularly the youngster’s ability to handle pressure and maintain his composure.
At just 18, Bouadi has now shown that he can operate effectively in a demanding Champions League environment.
For Manchester City, his emergence provides another option in midfield, while for Bouadi, the Porto performance represents an important step in his development.
Maresca’s comments suggest that the club’s faith in the Moroccan teenager is based not only on his technical ability but also on his mentality.
His response after mistakes, his passing accuracy and his composure against Porto all impressed the manager.
And after a performance in which he “never panicked”, Bouadi has given Manchester City another reason to believe they have a promising young player capable of making an impact at the highest level.
