- Maresca praised City’s performance despite defeat
- Inter won the match 3-1 on penalties
- City will continue their pre-season tour in Asia
Manchester City manager Enzo Maresca expressed satisfaction with his team’s display despite losing on penalties to Inter Milan after a 1-1 draw in a pre-season friendly played in Hong Kong on Saturday.
Eko Hot Blog gathered that the match marked Maresca’s first outing as City manager since succeeding Pep Guardiola in June, with Inter claiming a 3-1 victory in the penalty shootout after Matteo Lavelli converted the decisive kick.
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Speaking after the match, Maresca said he was encouraged by his players’ performance and the valuable match fitness gained during the encounter.
“I’m very happy with the performance. There were many positive aspects, especially the playing time the players got. Of course, there are areas we need to improve, but we will continue to make progress step by step,” he said.
Manchester City made a bright start and went ahead in the 14th minute when Antoine Semenyo broke down the flank and delivered a cross that youngster Divin Mubama finished from close range.
Semenyo continued to trouble the Inter defence and nearly doubled the lead with a brilliant solo effort before goalkeeper Josep Martinez denied him.
Inter restored parity a few minutes later after City failed to clear a cross from Jamal Iddrissou, allowing Benjamin Pavard to score from inside the penalty area.
Both sides created opportunities after the break, but neither could find a winning goal before the match went to penalties.
City came close to snatching victory late in the game, with Vitor Reis striking the crossbar and Ryan McAidoo hitting the post.
Reflecting on the performance, Maresca admitted his team struggled with pressing in the opening half but praised the improvement after tactical adjustments during the interval.
He acknowledged the challenge of succeeding Guardiola, who guided City to 20 trophies during a remarkable decade in charge.
Nearly 43,000 supporters attended the match at Kai Tak Stadium, although some empty seats were visible throughout the venue.
Several of City’s key players, including Erling Haaland and Rodri, were absent from the squad and will also miss the remaining fixtures of the club’s Asian tour in South Korea.
Manchester City will face a K League All-Star side and Atletico Madrid before taking on Arsenal in the Community Shield on August 16. The Premier League champions will then begin their league campaign at home against Bournemouth a week later.
Inter Milan will conclude their pre-season schedule with matches against AC Milan and Juventus before opening the defence of their Serie A title against Monza on August 22.
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