Ayyoub Bouaddi gave Manchester City a better midfield balance after coming on against PSG, according to an analysis by the Manchester Evening News.
The improvement did not change the result. City lost 4-2 at the Etihad, with three first-half goals leaving them too much to recover. But the second half offered a selection question for Enzo Maresca.
Hero photo: Bryan Berlin / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0. Archive, 9 July 2026; resized.
Ayyoub Bouaddi changes the midfield picture
Jack Flintham’s MEN analysis argues that City’s starting midfield struggled against PSG’s numbers in central areas. Elliot Anderson and Enzo Fernandez were left exposed as the visitors attacked.
Maresca introduced Bouaddi, Matheus Nunes and Iliman Ndiaye at half-time. Bouaddi replaced Rayan Cherki, giving City a different shape in the centre.
The argument is about balance rather than simply blaming one player. Cherki had influenced the win at Liverpool, but PSG presented a different problem. Flintham suggests Ayyoub Bouaddi helped City fill the spaces the visitors had exploited.
Passing figures support the analysis
Citing FotMob, the MEN says Bouaddi made ten line-breaking passes in his 45 minutes. Only Marc Guehi and Anderson made more across the game, according to the report.
The same analysis records 37 completed passes from 40 attempts. It also notes that City’s accurate-pass total rose after the break, while PSG’s fell from 241 to 134.
The FotMob figures cited by the MEN strengthen the case for Ayyoub Bouaddi. He was one of three half-time changes, though, and City were already chasing a three-goal deficit.
There was also a direct attacking contribution. Bouaddi supplied the assist for Erling Haaland’s second goal, as covered in our report on City’s 4-2 defeat.
A selection option, not a finished solution
Ayyoub Bouaddi’s performance gives Maresca a reason to consider a more protected midfield when opponents look to crowd central areas. That is the strongest part of the MEN’s argument.
It is not proof that the same selection is right for every match. City still conceded after the break, and PSG had already built a three-goal lead before the changes.
The distinction matters. Ayyoub Bouaddi helped the response, but the first-half problems remain part of the assessment. The next test is whether City can find that balance from the start, rather than needing to repair it while chasing a game.
