Enzo Maresca Praises Team Depth and Ayyoub Bouaddi's Performance

Enzo Maresca walked away from a bruising European night convinced his side had shown exactly what he wanted to see: depth, control and a ruthless mentality that still has room to grow.

The Italian was beaming about the collective effort after a demanding away assignment, stressing that his team had done more than enough to justify the result.

“I think we could’ve scored more goals, especially in the first half, but overall I think we deserved to win the game,” he told Amazon Prime, reflecting on a display that mixed authority with resilience. “We created enough chances to win the game. We didn’t concede a lot. It’s normal to come here and concede some chances because it’s normal, so overall happy with the performance.”

For Maresca, the night underlined a luxury every coach craves: options everywhere.

“I think I am lucky because all the squad is good players,” he said. “For a manager it is easy because you can give minutes to all of them, and tonight I think the guys that were inside were very good.”

Bouaddi steals the spotlight

The result mattered, but the story belonged to Ayyoub Bouaddi.

On a stage that has swallowed far more experienced players, the teenager looked like he had been here for years. Maresca, who had leaned on his senior core to guide the side through a tricky tie, singled out the youngster’s composure as something special.

“The good thing is that from Erling [Haaland], Ruben [Dias], Mateo [Kovacic] you expect how to manage this game,” he said. “But he was never in panic, Ayyoub Bouaddi. He was very good and I think the performance was unbelievable.”

Alongside Enzo Fernandez, Bouaddi slotted into the rhythm of the midfield and never flinched. The trust from the dressing room had been building for weeks; this was simply the public confirmation.

Erling Haaland has seen enough on the training pitch to be convinced.

“I think he played a very good game,” the striker said, revealing just how highly he rates the youngster. “Last couple of weeks in training, I told the chairman that he has been amazing, so I think we have a gem here.”

Haaland couldn’t resist a striker’s gripe, though. The standards are high, even for a breakout performance.

“But to be honest, I think he should of played me through in the second half when I was all alone. I was a bit angry, so I will tell him right now, he played a good game, except that pass.”

One missed ball, one smiling rebuke from the team’s star forward – and a clear message: Bouaddi is no longer just a prospect. He is part of the conversation.