Enzo Maresca's Bold Line-Up for Manchester City's Champions League Opener
Enzo Maresca has rolled the dice for Manchester City’s Champions League opener, revealing a bold line-up for the trip to the Estadio do Dragao to face Porto on Tuesday night.
This is his first crack at the league phase of the UEFA Champions League as City manager, and he has not played it safe.
Bouaddi handed full debut on the big stage
The headline call belongs to Ayoub Bouaddi. The young Moroccan is thrown straight into his first City start, stepping in for Elliot Anderson, who drops to the bench. A domestic outing at the weekend is one thing; a first whistle in Porto, under European floodlights, is quite another. Maresca clearly trusts him.
Phil Foden also wins the internal battle for a starting spot. Iliman Ndiaye, who featured against Coventry, makes way and starts among the substitutes, as Maresca leans on Foden’s Champions League experience and creativity between the lines.
At right-back, Matheus Nunes returns to the XI, taking the place of Abdukodir Khusanov. It signals a more progressive, ball-playing approach down City’s right, with Nunes expected to step into midfield when City build from the back.
Enzo Fernandez anchors midfield again
In the middle of the pitch, Enzo Fernandez keeps his place and starts his second consecutive match since completing his record £125 million move from Chelsea. No easing-in period, no gentle rotation: Maresca is building his midfield around him from day one.
New signing Alan has to wait for his chance, named among the substitutes as City pack their bench with options to change the tempo later on.
The XIs in full
Maresca lines his side up with a strong, attacking core:
Manchester City starting XI: Donnarumma; Nunes, Dias, Gvardiol, Bouaddi; Enzo; Cherki, Foden; Haaland, Semenyo.
On the other side, Porto respond with a solid, balanced team of their own, aiming to turn the Dragao into a cauldron once again:
Porto starting XI: Costa; Varela, Perez, Kivor, Alberto Costa; Rosario, Fernandez; Vega, Gomes, Silva; Pepe.
Two ambitious line-ups, one fierce opening-night test. For Maresca and his reshaped City, this is where their European story truly starts.
