Erling Haaland Takes Playful Swipe At £85.7m Man City Signing After Porto Win

Erling Haaland had nothing but praise for Manchester City’s latest teenage sensation after their Champions League victory over Porto — although the striker could not resist taking a playful swipe at his new team-mate.

City made an impressive start to their European campaign with a 2-0 victory at Estadio do Dragao, with Haaland scoring both goals in the second half to cap another encouraging result for Enzo Maresca’s revamped side.

Yet one of the night’s biggest talking points was the performance of Ayyoub Bouaddi.

The 18-year-old, who joined City from Lille in a £85.7million summer move, made his first start for the club and quickly showed why City were willing to invest so heavily in his potential.

Haaland, named Player of the Match after his brace, was asked by Prime Video for his assessment of the teenager’s display — and he was clearly impressed.

“I think he did a really, really good game,” Haaland said.

“The last couple of weeks in training… I just told the chairman, Khaldoon Al Mubarak, he’s been amazing in training and everything, so I think we’ve got a gem there.”

Haaland Had One Complaint

There was, however, one small problem.

Haaland immediately turned his praise into a joke, revealing that Bouaddi had missed what could have been a perfect opportunity to put him through on goal.

“To be honest, I think he should have played me in, in the second half,” the Norwegian said.

“I was all alone, so I was a bit angry. I will tell him right now, but he played a good game, except for that pass.”

Haaland finished the line with a smirk, making it clear that his criticism was firmly tongue-in-cheek.

The exchange came after another hugely encouraging night for City, who continued their strong start under Maresca.

The former Pep Guardiola assistant has now won four of his first five matches in charge since taking over from his former boss.

But despite the victory, Haaland insisted City still have plenty of work to do.

“We have to learn,” he said. “Enzo has to demand a lot from us. We have to demand a lot from each other.

“We have to win games because in Man City you have to win games, you have to win trophies. That’s what we have to do with this club.”

Maresca Joins The Praise

Maresca was just as impressed by Bouaddi, particularly with the teenager’s composure after making mistakes earlier in his City career.

“Oh my God! Bouaddi was very good,” Maresca said.

“Against Coventry he lost two balls and after that he was inside our box, calm. This shows how good he is because any player, after you miss two passes, can panic.”

For Maresca, the youngster’s ability to recover immediately was one of the clearest signs of his maturity.

“You don’t expect it a guy who’s 18 to manage this game and he was top,” he added. “I didn’t see him in any moment panic. This is the reason why he is here with us.”

With Haaland already joking about the service he receives from his new team-mate and Maresca openly praising the teenager’s composure, Bouaddi’s first start has certainly left a strong impression.

City now face a completely different challenge on Sunday, when they travel to Old Trafford for the first Manchester derby of the season.

And after a night in Porto that showcased both Haaland’s finishing and Bouaddi’s promise, the pressure will be on Maresca’s new-look side to carry that momentum into one of the biggest fixtures of the campaign.