After his promising debut, Pep Guardiola praises Rayan Aït-Nouri

The young Algerian international Rayan Aït-Nouri (24) delivered a remarkable performance in his first official appearance for Manchester City, against Emirati club Al Ain, in the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup.

The match, which ended in a resounding 6-0 victory for the Citizens on the second matchday of the group stage, marked Aït-Nouri's official debut in a City shirt.

The Algerian left-back stood out for his impressive accuracy, boasting a 95% pass completion rate with 56 successful passes out of 59 attempts. He also delivered six crosses, one of which resulted in an assist, and completed four dribbles out of six attempts.

Defensively, he showed his solidity by winning eight out of sixteen duels, making three effective interceptions, and recording one successful clearance.

According to the specialist site Sofascore, he was awarded a 7.4 out of 10 for his display against Al Ain.

Guardiola hails Aït-Nouri's performance

Pep Guardiola, Manchester City's manager, did not hide his admiration for the player's qualities: "We were well aware of his exceptional talent, especially in the final third."

He added: "Ryan has excellent defensive skills, he's comfortable out wide, and he shows great intelligence in attacking phases. He's a remarkable player in every respect."

The Spanish tactician concluded: "Aït-Nouri can help us in several positions on the pitch. He moves very well in tight spaces."

It's worth noting that Manchester City secured their qualification for the Round of 16 of the FIFA Club World Cup after this big win over Al Ain.

See also: Club World Cup: standings of the 8 groups ahead of matchday 3!

Mohamed Rek |

Editorfr, ar, en

Mohamed Rek- sports content writer with over 10 years of experience creating football content in Arabic and French for platforms such as Foot Africa and Starafrica, combining accuracy, creativity, and audience engagement.