Manchester City’s new era under head coach Enzo Maresca began with a 3-1 defeat on penalties against Inter Milan during the Asahi Super Dry Trophy in Hong Kong. City took an early lead through Divin Mubama, capitalizing on strong wing play from Antoine Semenyo. However, Inter responded before the half through Benjamin Pavard, and despite City’s dominance in the second half—including a shot that hit the post from youngster Ryan McAidoo—the match was ultimately decided by a penalty shootout. Claudio Echeverri converted a Panenka for City, but misses from Rayan Ait-Nouri, Abdukodir Khusanov, and Nico Gonzalez handed the victory to Inter.
Maresca faced challenges fielding a mixed squad as many of Manchester City’s World Cup players had yet to return. One significant point of focus will be optimizing the role of Phil Foden, who wore the captain’s armband and operated as the No. 10 in the match. Despite seven weeks of rest following a demanding season, Foden’s impact was limited. Maresca has expressed confidence in Foden’s abilities and emphasized the importance of helping him return to peak form, noting that Foden’s condition and mood will be vital to the team’s success. During the game, Foden appeared more involved in the second half but still fell short of expectations.
Antoine Semenyo’s positioning also attracted attention, as he was deployed on the left wing rather than his previous role on the right under former coach Pep Guardiola. Semenyo, who began his career playing right wing but excelled on the left during his time at Bournemouth, seemed more effective in this role, a move welcomed by City supporters.
Meanwhile, at the Strawberry Arena in Stockholm, Manchester United secured a 2-1 victory over Atletico Madrid to claim the Snapdragon Cup, with Bryan Mbeumo scoring both goals. Atletico took an early lead in the fifth minute through Arnau Ortiz’s close-range finish. Despite continued pressure, United were unable to equalize before halftime, largely due to saves from Atletico goalkeeper Jan Oblak.
United’s equalizer came shortly after the break when Mbeumo converted a penalty awarded following a foul on Shea Lacey, whose energetic play earned him significant praise. Mbeumo then scored the winning goal in the 74th minute, assisted by academy graduate Jack Fletcher. The Cameroonian forward demonstrated versatility by switching his role from right wing to center-forward, providing a valuable attacking option as the club considers strengthening their striking options amid uncertainty over Joshua Zirkzee’s future and Benjamin Sesko’s shin injury.
Lacey, who had impressed in a previous match against Rosenborg, started again for United and made an impact both creatively and physically. His movement and ability to play across the attacking midfield positions caused problems for Atletico’s defense, and he was credited with winning the penalty that led to the equalizer.
Two further academy prospects, JJ Gabriel and Jim Thwaites, made their senior debuts late in the match, replacing Mbeumo and Andrey Santos. Gabriel, who will turn 16 in October and has been nicknamed "Kid Messi," showed promising skill by testing Atletico’s defense in the closing minutes. United manager Michael Carrick highlighted the strong performances of both senior and younger players and expressed satisfaction with giving emerging talents opportunities during the pre-season.
United will face Paris Saint-Germain, Leeds United, and AC Milan in upcoming pre-season fixtures as they continue to integrate both established and young players ahead of the new campaign.