The Athletic reported that after Manchester City's first Champions League match of the season, Bouhaddi's performance was remarkable, and the Champions League environment seems more suited to him.

Some believe that as Ayoub Bouhaddi has adapted to his new surroundings at Manchester City, European football at the highest level is more suited to him than the Premier League. However, there is no clear explanation for how an 18-year-old player can perform with such composure at this level.

Bouhaddi joined Manchester City from Lille this summer for £86 million (approximately $116.5 million) and made his debut for City on Sunday night against Porto. His performance suggested he has been playing at this level for years.

After the match, Haaland told Prime Video Sport: "He played really well! He was always excellent in training. I told the president Mubarak that we have found a gem here."

Haaland has climbed to third place on Manchester City's all-time top scorers list and matched Agüero's 36-goal Champions League record. His goal-per-game ratio in European competitions is remarkable: 59 goals in 59 matches.

He continued his decisive role for Manchester City, scoring both goals in the intense match against Porto. However, Bouhaddi proved equally important. His performance was mature, keeping City in control, managing difficult situations, and creating opportunities for Haaland.

One of the most notable aspects of his performance, or rather his presence, in this match was the complete trust his teammates showed in him. Notably, Cherki was keen to pass to the young teammate even when Bouhaddi was surrounded by two defenders, trusting him to handle the ball well.

Maresca said at the press conference: "You can see he is a very good player." Earlier, he also commented on Bouhaddi's performance in an interview with Prime Video Sports: "My God! He never looked worried. His performance was outstanding. He was absolutely incredible."

Manchester City is gradually adapting to life without Rodri and Bernardo Silva. These two midfielders control matches and take responsibility at the highest level. It is clear that summer arrival Elliott Anderson can replace them.

On Sunday, he came on as a substitute in the second half and helped Manchester City regain stability. Both with and without the ball, his performance was quite outstanding. Anderson seems destined to become Manchester City's midfield axis, with Bouhaddi able to provide significant support alongside him or directly compete for his position.

On several occasions, the young player turned his back to goal, received the ball, and while you might expect him to simply pass it back, he simply turned and ran into the open space on the wing, driving Manchester City forward.

On other occasions, his approach was simpler but equally effective. He eagerly received Donnarumma's pass at the edge of the penalty area, turned away from pressure, and passed to an open teammate, helping Manchester City escape Porto's pressure—much like Gündoğan does.

Gündoğan has become a special player for Manchester City because he can dominate the match from everywhere on the pitch. After many years, he has increased his goal-scoring record and more decisive attacking contributions while maintaining his own rhythm.

Manchester City knew that Bouhaddi still needs to improve his final pass and finishing, but that will come with time. This is why Haaland's praise was somewhat tempered.

Haaland joked: "In the second half, I think he should have passed to me. I was completely open. I was a bit frustrated, so I'm telling him directly now—but apart from that pass, he played really well."

When Bouhaddi broke through from midfield and chose to pass left instead of right, Haaland was genuinely frustrated. The Norwegian was expecting the ball to reach him on his right, but it went the opposite direction. Haaland jumped in disappointment, threw up his hands, and continued to protest for a few more seconds during the ongoing play.

However, this did not diminish his overall performance. In the first half, he also delivered a beautiful pass that forced two brilliant saves from Porto goalkeeper Diogo Costa.

Manchester City's scouting system has long identified Bouhaddi's ball-carrying ability, movement, composure, and mentality. These qualities convinced them to negotiate with Lille throughout the summer and bring him to Manchester City as quickly as possible, inserting him directly into an intense match like Sunday's.

After the match, Maresca explained: "You can see he speaks French, English, and Spanish very well. He is exceptionally mature and intelligent. That's why the club tried to bring him to us as quickly as possible."

Maresca also explained why he trusted Bouhaddi to start Manchester City's European campaign. Previously, he came on as a substitute in Saturday's Premier League opener against Coventry City.

The Italian manager said: "First and foremost, he is genuinely exceptional. He lost the ball twice against Coventry, and while he came into our penalty area, he remained extremely calm. It shows how mentally strong he is. Any player would be worried after two bad passes. But he's only 18 and is an excellent player. I think he played really well tonight.

"You would expect Haaland, Ruben Dias, and Kovacic to handle this type of match better. You wouldn't expect an 18-year-old boy to do this. But he performed at the highest level and never looked worried. I never saw him worry. That's why he's playing with us."

While it may be premature to expect Bouhaddi to perform consistently at this level every week, and while Manchester City still has Anderson and Enzo Fernández to shoulder this responsibility, Haaland is right. He is a gem.

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