Manchester City is set to take on Atlético Madrid in their final pre-season friendly on Sunday, August 9. This match serves as a crucial preparation ahead of their upcoming Community Shield clash against Arsenal on August 16.
City enters this fixture with mixed results in their recent warm-up matches under new manager Enzo Maresca. The team played to a 1–1 draw against Inter Milan in Hong Kong on August 1, ultimately losing 3–1 in the penalty shootout that followed. However, they rebounded with a convincing 3–1 victory over the K-League All-Stars in Seoul on August 5, where goals from Omar Marmoush, Savinho, and Phil Foden marked Maresca's first win at the helm. The squad is eager to build momentum and fine-tune their tactics ahead of the competitive season.
In terms of team news, Manchester City will be without key players for this match. Striker Erling Haaland is still engaged with the Norway national team following their World Cup campaign, while midfielder Rodri is recovering from back surgery performed on July 28. Additionally, Rayan Cherki, Marc Guéhi, Elliot Anderson, and Nico O’Reilly are unavailable due to their commitments with national teams.
Jack Grealish and Kalvin Phillips were not part of the Asia tour and are expected to depart from the club soon. Given the absences, Maresca is anticipated to make significant alterations to his starting lineup, providing opportunities for newcomers and squad players to gain valuable experience.
Omar Marmoush is likely to feature prominently after his impressive display as a substitute in the previous friendly. Alongside him, Phil Foden and Savinho are expected to take on attacking roles. Other players such as Rico Lewis, Abdukodir Khusanov, Matteo Kovacic, and Tijjani Reijnders are also in contention for starting positions as the team focuses on enhancing their fitness and cohesion before facing Arsenal in the Community Shield.
The predicted starting eleven for Manchester City includes: Gianluigi Donnarumma; Rico Lewis, Abdukodir Khusanov, Ruben Dias, Josko Gvardiol; Tijjani Reijnders, Mateo Kovacic; Antoine Semenyo, Phil Foden, Savinho; and Omar Marmoush leading the attack.
The match is scheduled to kick off at 12 PM BST on Sunday, August 9. Fans in the UK can catch the action live through Manchester City’s CITY+ streaming service, ensuring they don’t miss this exciting pre-season encounter.
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