Manchester City face Atletico Madrid in the third and last friendly of their pre-season tour of Japan and South Korea. So, here is everything you need to know about the tie.
The Etihad Stadium natives have enjoyed a strong summer so far after securing wins against Yokohama F Marinos and Bayern Munich. Pep Guardiola has overseen an unbeaten effort to date with 5-3 and 2-1 results respectively. Aymeric Laporte sealed their win against Der FCB.
Pipping the Bundesliga champions at the end of the game capped off Manchester City’s run in Japan. They now travel to South Korea to face Atletico Madrid with Diego Simeone’s side awaiting Guardiola’s squad in Seoul. So, here is everything you need to know about the tie…
When is Atletico Madrid vs Manchester City?
Manchester City meet Atletico Madrid in the final friendly of their pre-season tour of Japan and South Korea on Sunday, July 30. The game kicks off at 20:00 local time in Seoul, making their meeting a 12:00 kick-off in England, 13:00 in Spain, 07:00 in New York and 04:00 in LA.
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Their friendly also marks the first time that Manchester City have met Atletico Madrid since April 2022. Kevin De Bruyne scored the only goal of the Citizens’ narrow Champions League quarter-final win over the Colchoneros. He delivered 70 minutes into the first leg of their tie.
How to watch Atletico Madrid vs Manchester City
Fans around the world, except supporters in South Korea, can watch the pre-season friendly between Manchester City and Atletico Madrid via CITY+ or Recast. Coupang Play will provide exclusive live coverage of the Citizens and Colchoneros’ clash for supporters in South Korea.
Live stream of Atletico Madrid vs Manchester City
Further regional restrictions will prevent Manchester City from streaming the fixture via their TV app. But those watching the friendly through CITY+ or Recast can still access the fixture through the Citizens’ official website or mobile app, providing they have a valid subscription.
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CITY+ is £34.99 a year or £4.99 a month with the right to cancel at any time. But Manchester City members and season ticket holders can also buy a subscription to CITY+ for £30 a year. Recast, meanwhile, is a pay-per-view alternative offering a live stream of only the one game.
Manchester City team and injury news
Guardiola faces an injury concern for Manchester City’s pre-season friendly against Atletico Madrid after Nathan Ake hobbled off against Bayern Munich. Manuel Akanji replaced Ake in the 29th minute of the win. The Dutchman could not continue after Kingsley Coman’s tackle.
Coman’s tackle was fairly innocuous but left Ake requiring treatment from Manchester City’s medical team for a likely ankle injury. He initially tried to continue playing but struggled and Guardiola took no risks with Akanji introduced. City will hope he has not suffered a big issue.
In more positive news, De Bruyne may make his pre-season debut after missing Manchester City’s friendlies with Yokohama and Bayern Munich. The Belgian featured among Guardiola’s substitutes against Der FCB after returning to training following a hamstring injury this week.
The issue forced De Bruyne off during the Champions League final having played through his injury for the previous two months. Guardiola will not want to rush the playmaker back into action too soon. But he might feature in some capacity against Athletic Madrid this Sunday.
Prediction: Atletico Madrid (1) vs (3) Manchester City
Manchester City will hope to end their pre-season tour of Japan and South Korea by beating Atletico Madrid to boast a perfect record. It is unlikely that Simeone’s side will pose enough of a threat to stop it. But Guardiola will want nothing less than a professional performance.
Wholesale changes to the City line-up at half-time saw the Etihad Stadium outfit struggle to establish much cohesion thereafter. They only jumped back into gear when Mathys Tel fired past Ederson to draw level. Laporte scored their winner five minutes after Tel found the net.
Guardiola will also want to see Manchester City record their first clean sheet of the summer after conceding three to Yokohama F Marinos. They nearly shut Bayern Munich out only for Tel to net in the 81st minute. And Atletico Madrid will expect to score at least once, as well.
