Manchester City made a winning start to their Champions League league phase campaign under new head coach Enzo Maresca, seeing off FC Porto 2-0 at the Estadio do Dragao on Tuesday night.
Two goals from Erling Haaland, in he second-half, settled a contest in which the visitors were made to work hard for their points on Portuguese soil.
Haaland put missed first-half chances behind him to break the deadlock three minutes into the second period, before wrapping up the win with a second in stoppage time to complete his brace. It capped an evening that also saw one of City’s youngest faces take centre stage.
Bouaddi earns rave reviews on big stage
Eighteen-year-old Ayoub Bouaddi, handed his first full start for the club, was the standout performer on a night when Maresca’s side had to dig in against a determined Porto outfit in front of a raucous home crowd.
The Moroccan midfielder, deployed at the base alongside the more experienced heads in City’s engine room, showed no sign of nerves despite the occasion.
Speaking after the match, Maresca could not hide his admiration for the youngster’s temperament.
“Oh my god! He was never in panic, he was very good! The performance from him was unbelievable!” the head coach said per club official website, reflecting on a display that belied Bouaddi’s tender age and limited senior experience.
It is exactly the kind of impact Maresca will have been hoping for from a player he has publicly earmarked for greater involvement in Europe this season.
He stated in the build-up that several of his fringe players “need to start” picking up minutes in the competition.
Maresca praises resilience after tense night in Portugal
Beyond the individual plaudits for Bouaddi, Maresca was keen to stress the scale of the challenge his side had overcome.
Porto arrived at Tuesday’s meeting unbeaten domestically and difficult to breach at home, and the head coach acknowledged that keeping a clean sheet in such an atmosphere was no simple task.
“If you think to come here in this stadium and not concede anything, it’s not real, not reality… In the end, they didn’t create a lot!” Maresca said.
It was far from a flawless performance from the visitors going forward, either. Haaland, so often ruthless in front of goal, was uncharacteristically wasteful before the break, seeing a couple of clear-cut opportunities denied by Porto goalkeeper Diogo Costa and heading another effort over the crossbar.
The Norwegian made no mistake when the chances mattered most, though, converting early in the second half before adding a second deep into added time to put a comfortable gloss on the scoreline.
The victory represented Maresca’s first win in the competition since taking charge at the Etihad, following his summer move to the club.
It is an early marker in what promises to be a demanding season in Europe, with City having endured a difficult run in the Champions League in recent campaigns.
