The big surprise from Bruno Genesio in Lille's visit to Signal Iduna Park to face Borussia Dortmund in the first leg of the Champions League round of 16 was the name of Ethan Mbappé after his impressive performance against PSG. However, there was a 17-year-old named Ayyoub Bouaddi who shone on his own.

Nasri is amazed by Bouaddi

He faced two experienced players like Pascal Gross and Marcel Sabitzer. However, Bouaddi pulled the strings of the game at will, completing 55 of 62 passes, missing only seven. Despite being 17, the composure he showed in a stage like the Champions League was more typical of a veteran midfielder like his teammate Benjamin André.

It's no surprise that L'Equipe gave him a rating of eight out of ten, the highest of all the players who appeared at Signal Iduna Park. “He’s 17, but plays like someone 30. He’s calm, composed, has technical precision, intelligence in positioning, and is not afraid under pressure... he’s the one who controls Lille's play,” said Samir Nasri about Bouaddi.

France and Morocco are fighting over Bouaddi

Surely, everyone present was amazed by the performance Bouaddi put on against Borussia Dortmund. However, it’s worth mentioning that he has already played 48 official matches with Lille… and he’s only 17 years old. This season, he’s started more games (16) than he’s come on as a substitute (14). Therefore, it seems he has earned the trust of Bruno Genesio.

The French youth teams are also aware of the talent they have with Bouaddi, and his development has been exponential. He debuted with the U-18s in September, the U-20s in October, and the U-21s in November. Still, it seems unlikely that Deschamps will call him up anytime soon. However, they need to take good care of him because he can also play for Morocco.