Manchester City’s Asian Tour Concludes with Atletico Madrid Defeat

Manchester City completed our pre-season tour of Asia with a 2-1 defeat to Atletico Madrid in Seoul.

An unusual weather pattern gripped South Korea, with intense heat and humidity turning into a torrential downpour on game night. This resulted in a 40-minute delay at the World Cup Stadium, but the rain did nothing to dampen the passion of the 64,000 fans donned in sky blue.

A Thrilling Encounter

An intensely hot and humid few days in South Korea turned to heavy rain on the evening of the game, meaning kick-off at the World Cup Stadium was delayed by 40 minutes.

The clash between Man City and Atletico Madrid proved to be thrilling. Both sides played their part in a scintillating match, with City’s attack led by Erling Haaland and their deft possession game. Despite their neat play, it was second-half goals from Memphis Depay and Yannick Carrasco that earned the win for Diego Simeone’s squad.

The game did eventually get going in front of more than 64,000 passionate fans, overwhelmingly in sky blue.

After controlling much of the first half, City’s Guardiola made only one change at the break. The second half saw more action, with City’s Kyle Walker striking the bar, and Ortega Moreno performing heroics for Atletico. Ultimately, the Spanish side’s clinical finishing made the difference, with Ruben Dias’ late header not enough to salvage a draw.

A Testing Pre-Season Journey Ends

Guardiola’s men had previously triumphed over Yokohama F. Marinos and Bayern Munich in Japan. This trip to Asia, although ending in defeat, will surely provide crucial preparation for the Community Shield clash next Sunday.

Although both sides contributed to an entertaining encounter, it was second-half strikes from Memphis Depay and Yannick Carrasco that won it for Diego Simeone’s team.