Manchester City returned from Porto with a fresh midfield option after Ayyoub Bouaddi completed a composed first Champions League start in the club’s 2-0 win. The 18-year-old finished 54 of 55 passes and led the match for dribbles with 4, times possession won with 7, and duels contested with 13, statistics that strengthened the case for immediate first-team involvement.
Bouaddi joined City from Lille for £86m, the fee that made him the most expensive teenager in Premier League history. He had appeared twice from the bench before being selected to start at 18 years and 341 days, becoming the fourth-youngest player to start a Champions League match for Manchester City.
Erling Haaland, who scored both goals in Porto, praised the teenager after the game. "He did a really good game," Haaland said, adding, "I think we have got a gem there, to be honest." Haaland also joked that Bouaddi should have played him through in the second half, a light rebuke that highlighted how quickly team-mates have warmed to the newcomer.
Manager Enzo Maresca emphasised Bouaddi’s calmness in pressure moments and his rapid adaptation, saying, "He is very good. Against Coventry, he lost two balls and after that he was inside our box and calm. Other players may have panicked but at 18, he is a fantastic player." Maresca also pointed to the player’s fluency in French, English and Spanish and his maturity as factors behind City’s decision to invest in him.
Former Chelsea winger Pat Nevin singled Bouaddi out during the broadcast, saying, "His age, his game, he looks absolutely born to do it. I cannot take my eyes off Bouaddi, he looks very special." Observers noted Bouaddi’s earlier high-profile displays for Lille, including a standing ovation after a group-stage win over Real Madrid, as evidence he thrives on big occasions.
City resisted reports that a loan-back to Lille formed part of the transfer, and people involved at the club view Bouaddi as an immediate option this season with the potential to "develop into a world class talent." The performance in Portugal reinforced that judgment and leaves Manchester City with a younger, evidently capable alternative in midfield following the departure of Rodri.
