Maresca's Bold XI for City’s Champions League Clash with Porto
Enzo Maresca has wasted no time putting his own stamp on Manchester City’s Champions League campaign, unveiling a bold, tweaked XI for their opening league-phase clash with Porto at the Estadio do Dragao on Tuesday night.
Three changes. One huge headline.
Ayoub Bouaddi, the highly rated young Moroccan, steps into the European spotlight with his first City start, preferred ahead of Elliot Anderson, who drops to the bench. It is a statement selection from Maresca: trust in youth, trust in energy, trust in a player yet to feel the full weight of a Champions League night.
Around him, the reshuffle continues. Phil Foden returns to the starting line-up, Iliman Ndiaye making way after beginning on Saturday against Coventry. On the right side of defence, Matheus Nunes is restored, replacing Abdukodir Khusanov and offering a more familiar balance to City’s back line.
One constant, though, sits at the heart of it all.
Enzo Fernandez, the club’s record signing at £125 million from Chelsea, starts his second consecutive match. Maresca keeps faith with the Argentine in midfield, leaning on his control and range of passing in a stadium that has tested many established European sides. New recruit Alan must wait his turn among the substitutes, a reminder that reputations alone do not guarantee minutes in this City setup.
Manchester City XI
The XI Maresca sends into battle is packed with talent and intrigue:
- Donnarumma
- Nunes
- Dias
- Gvardiol
- Bouaddi
- Enzo
- Cherki
- Foden
- Haaland
- Semenyo
Erling Haaland leads the line as expected, flanked by creativity and movement, with Rayan Cherki and Foden tasked with feeding the Norwegian and exploiting the spaces Porto tend to leave when they commit forward. Semenyo’s inclusion adds direct running and physical edge to the front line, a useful weapon away from home.
FC Porto XI
On the opposite side, Porto respond with a side built for resistance and incision in transition:
- Costa
- Varela
- Perez
- Kivor
- Alberto Costa
- Rosario
- Fernandez
- Vega
- Gomes
- Silva
- Pepe
It is a line-up that suggests Porto will not simply sit back. With Pepe and Silva in attack and a solid spine behind them, the Portuguese side look ready to test City’s new-look structure, especially down the flanks where Bouaddi and Nunes will be under early scrutiny.
For Maresca, this is more than just a team sheet. It is an opening gambit on Europe’s biggest stage, a blend of established stars and emerging names, rolled out in one of the most atmospheric grounds on the continent.
The question now is simple: can this brave, slightly reimagined City side handle the noise of the Dragao and set the tone for their Champions League journey?
