Manchester City played to a 1-1 draw against Inter Milan in Hong Kong before succumbing to a 3-1 defeat in the penalty shootout, marking Enzo Maresca’s debut as manager.
Phil Foden led the squad in Hong Kong, a show of faith in the young Englishman following a challenging final season under Pep Guardiola.
Teenager Divin Mubama opened the scoring in the 14th minute with a well-placed tap-in, assisted by Antoine SemenyoBenjamin Pavard equalized just six minutes later.
No further goals came despite a vibrant performance from City’s young talent Ryan McAidoo, and Inter ultimately triumphed in the shootout after City players Nico González, Abdukodir Khusanov, and Rayan Aït-Nouri missed their penalties.
Despite the outcome, Maresca found much to admire in his team’s performance as they work on building their fitness for the upcoming season.
“There were many positives, particularly regarding fitness, which is crucial at this stage,” he noted.
“We have our first official match in two weeks, so it’s essential to prepare properly. I’m pleased with the performance, although there are definitely areas for improvement, and we will gradually get better.”
Maresca also recognized that Inter’s advantage in preseason preparation showed early in the match, although City improved after halftime.
“They began their preseason 10 days before us, which is significant at this stage,” he explained. “In terms of physical readiness, they may have had the upper hand. However, we performed better in the second half after making some adjustments.”
McAidoo emerged as one of the key players for City, and Maresca commended the young winger, emphasizing his openness to promoting academy talent when they’re ready.
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“He’s the type of winger I admire—aggressive and always looking to take opponents on, while also making smart decisions. He’s still very young and on the right track,” he added.
“I’ve always been supportive of young talents. During my time at Leicester, we set a record for player debuts, and at Chelsea, it was the same; the academy players got their chances. If they show promise, I have no qualms about promoting them.”
City’s preseason tour of Asia continues on Wednesday with a matchup against a K League All-Stars XI in Seoul, followed by a game against Atlético Madrid in South Korea on August 9.
They will then face Arsenal in the Community Shield on August 16 before kicking off their Premier League campaign at home against Bournemouth on August 23.
PA contributed to this article.