Manchester City 1 Inter Milan 1 : First impressions from Enzo Maresca’s first match as City manager | OneFootball

Manchester City 1 (Divin Mubama 14′)

Inter Milan 1 (Benjamin Pavard 20′)

Inter Milan win 3-1 on penalties.

Enzo Maresca’s first match as Manchester City is complete as City drew 1-1 against Inter Milan at the Kai Tak Stadium in Hong Kong today. The match was decided by a penalty shootout which Inter Milan won 3-1.

Maresca went with an experienced starting eleven for today’s friendly in the first half.

First half.

The first ten minutes of the match at the Kai Tak Stadium were an open affair. Manchester City forced two early corners and Antoine Semenyo was a threat to the Inter Milan defence. Inter created several openings of their own in the game’s first two minutes. Inter striker Francesco Pio Esposito prodded a gilt-edged chance wide from six yards out. The chance came after a cross-field ball over the City defence caught out Stephen Mfuni at the back post at left-back. The ball was cut back to Esposito who prodded the chance wide in the third minute but the flag was up for offside.

Inter midfielder Aleksandar Stanković flicked a near post header wide from a corner in the fourth minute to continue the bright start to the match. Tijjani Reijnders would have the first shot on target for Enzo Maresca’s side in the 10th minute. Reijnders’ chance came after a slice City move found him in space on the left-hand side of Inter’s penalty area.

Divin Mubama opens the scoring for Manchester City after Semenyo powered through the Inter Milan defence.

Manchester City would take the lead in the 14th minute. Antoine Semenyo made a dangerous driving from the left wing into the Inter Milan penalty area. Semenyo played a teasing low cross from the byline to the back post which Mubama tapped in nonchalantly to give Enzo Maresca’s side a 1-0 lead.

Antoine Semenyo nearly made it 2-0 to Manchester City three minutes later. The Ghana international drove at the Inter Milan defence with another powerful run and got himself into a great position to shoot with the Inter defence backpedalling. Semenyo’s shot was well-saved by Inter Milan keeper Josep Martínez low down to his left.

Inter Milan equalize as the games open nature continued.

The Serie A champions would make it 1-1 in the 20th minute. A cross-field ball found Inter Milan left wing-back Federico Dimarco in acres of space on the right hand side of City’s area. Dimarco played a good cross into the area which Donnarumma got down well to block.. However, Donnarumma’s save fell to Josko Gvardiol, who could only clear the ball back to Dimarco. The Italian international played another good ball across the City area where Benjamin Pavard was on hand to equalize with a composed finish from six-yards out.

As the game approached the half-hour mark, a few items did stand out. Manchester City were utilising a high four-man press when Inter did try and play out from the back. On occasions it worked extremely well, however if Inter played through City’s press they had space to run at Manchester City’s defence. Both Tijjani Reijnders and Mateo Kovacic did seem to be struggling with their roles in midfield and at times were being overrun.

Also, Inter Milan were having success playing cross-field balls from centre midfield to the right or from centre midfield to the left. Their equalizer came via this route and it seemed that Stephen Mfuni and Rico Lewis at left and right-back respectively had their hands full containing this threat. This threat was more pronounced when Inter’s wing-backs Andy Diouf and Federico Dimarco joined the attack to create an overload out wide.

From the half-hour mark until the halftime whistle blew, both teams had their spells of possession and dominance. The wing play from both teams caught the eye when they went forward. At halftime the game was 1-1 after an entertaining opening 45 minutes.

First half thoughts.

From a Manchester City point of view, there was plenty to take from the first half. Antoine Semenyo was a powerhouse on the left wing. He was by far an away Manchester City’s most impressive player. Gianluigi Donnarumma played a more prominent role in Manchester City’s build-up play from the back which was impossible to ignore. Also, after a tough opening half-hour, Stephen Mfuni grew into the match at left-back. All told, there was plenty of positive points for Enzo Maresca’s side to take from the first half.

It wasn’t a perfect first half from Manchester City by any stretch. Inter Milan had their moments and did have joy attacking City from out wide on the left and right. It also seemed that Mateo Kovacic and Tijjani Reijnders struggled in midfield in the games opening half-hour. But they did get better as the first half progressed.

All told, it was a productive first half with plenty of positives on display for Enzo Maresca’s. Also, the areas they need time to come together were also apparent.

Second half.

Both teams made a raft of substitutions at halftime. For Manchester City, Enzo Maresca took off Josko Gvardiol, Tijjani Reijnders, Mateo Kovacic, Stephen Mfuni, and goal scorer Divin Mubama. They were replaced by Max Alleyne, Vitor Reis, Nico Gonzalez, Rayan Ait-Nouri and Ryan McAidoo. Antoine Semenyo took up the striker role with Savinho moving to the left wing.

A mix-up at the back almost gifted Inter Milan the lead a minute into the second half. Gianluigi Donnarumma was caught in a horrible position, as City gave away possession on the edge of their own area. The ball found itself to Inter Milan midfielder Aleksandar Stankovic, who tried to fire the ball into an empty net, but Donnarumma made a strong save just inside his own area to spare his team’s blushes.

Manchester City would put Inter Milan under a spell of sustained pressure following Inter’s bright start to the second half. The best moment came when Savinho forced a save from Inter Milan keeper Josep Martínez when he fizzed a cutback across goal from Ryan McAidoo’s cross from the right in the 52nd minute. Martínez’s save fell to Abdukodir Khusanov but his volley wasn’t powerful enough to trouble the Inter defence and it was cleared away.

Ryan McAidoo caught the eye as the second half wore on.

Manchester City had succeeded in dropping Inter Milan deep into their own area as the game approached the hour-mark. Ryan McAidoo on the right wing was giving Inter Milan headaches as was Savinho on the left wing. In the case of Savinho, his decision-making had let him down but he was putting in a real shift.

Enzo Maresca’s side were beginning to dominate proceedings and they almost took the lead in the 66th minute. Phil Foden floated a corner into a central area which was headed into the air by the Inter defence. The ball fell to Vitor Reis who fired a volley into the crossbar with Inter Milan’s substitute keeper Ivan Provedel beaten.

Both teams would turn to the bench in the 68th minute. Manchester City would take off Antoine Semenyo who was replaced by Claudio Echeverri. Phil Foden was also withdrawn and young striker Mahamadou Sangare was given a run out.

Manchester City were continuing to press for a winner as the game entered the 80th minute. It almost arrived as Ryan McAidoo made a driving and skilful run from high on the right-hand side into the Inter area. McAidoo’s composed shot beat Inter Milan’s substitute keeper Ivan Provedel but it hit the far post and stayed out. Two minutes later, McAidoo flashed a powerful strike from 18 yards out just wide of the far post with Provedel beaten once again.

Claudio Echeverri saw a shot blocked in the 86th minute from close range as Enzo Maresca’s side pushed to find the winner they deserved. Echeverri’s chance came after Ryan McAidoo’s cross from the legt was cleared into his path.

Despite Manchester City’s second-half dominance, the game ended 1-1. The game was decided by a penalty shootout which Inter Milan won 3-1.

Second half thoughts.

Manchester City dominated the second half and the first real glimpse of what Enzo Maresca’s City side could look like arrived. City dominated possession and pinned Inter deep in their own half for the majority of the second half.

How Rayan Ait-Nouri and Rico Lewis were used really stood out. Ait-Nouri drifted all over the pitch and Lewis moved into midfield with Khusanov at right-back. The pair helped link up Manchester City’s possession play and the fluidity of Enzo Maresca’s side, and the ability of the City players to interchange positions was encouraging to see. That looms as a real weapon for Enzo Maresca to unleash next season given how versatile the majority of the City squad is.

Also, the quick and speedy passing from Manchester City really stood out in the second half. It helped keep the Inter Milan defence pinned back and confused and that could be a real weapon for Enzo Maresca’s side if City can utilize it throughout next season.

Obviously, Ryan McAidoo was the standout performer of the second half for Manchester City. He was dazzling on the right wing and looks set to make a step up next season.

All told, the second half was full of promise and it was the first real glimpse of what may lie in store for Manchester City with Enzo Maresca as manager.

City player impressions and thoughts.

Rather than rate the players in a preseason friendly, here are my thoughts on what each Manchester City player showed while on the pitch. Today’s match had nothing riding on it so rather than rating the players here is what caught my eye in today’s game.

Gianluigi Donnarumma: He put in typical Donnarumma display in goal. He was far more prominent in City’s build-up play from the back which was good to see.

Rico Lewis: Lewis really grew into the game after halftime. Playing higher up the pitch suited him and he was important to City’s second half possession dominance.

Abdukodir Khusanov: Khusanov got through the match well which is all he needed to do.

Josko Gvardiol: The Croatian international will be better for the run. He got through the first half unscathed which is all that matters.

Stephen Mfuni: Mfuni struggled in the opening half-hour but he did grow into the game. That showed what he is made of.

Mateo Kovacic: The Croatian midfielder was good on the ball but did look lost out of possession. The role he played today isn’t one he is ideally suited to.

Tijjani Reijnders: You can say the same for Reijnders as Kovacic. If where he played in the first half is where Enzo Maresca sees him fitting in, Reijnders has some work to do over the preseason.

Antoine Semenyo: The Ghana international was brilliant. He tormented Inter on the left wing during the first half before being shifted up front after halftime. Judging from his performance today, Semenyo looks primed for a big season.

Phil Foden: Foden had some nice touches and had his moments.

Savinho: The Brazilian international was profoundly more impactful on the left wing rather than the right. He had his moments but his decision-making let him done.

Divin Mubama: He grabbed a goal and did put himself about in the first half. I did like how he would drop deep to be an option for the long ball over Inter’s press.

Substitutes.

Max Alleyne: Alleyne did his job well at the back after coming on.

Vitor Reis: He caught the eye as the second half wore on. Vitor Reis ventured into midfield also and he made one crucial late tackle on the halfway line which reinforces how gifted a player he is.

Rayan Ait-Nouri: The positions Ait-Nouri took up really stood out and he could be an important player for Enzo Maresca.

Nico Gonzalez: Manchester City did look better with Nico in the heart of midfield. That says a lot for him.

Ryan McAidoo: A dazzling display fro McAidoo. He tormented the Inter Milan defence and showed how talented a player he is. McAidoo was very impressive.

Mahamadou Sangare: The young striker just couldn’t get into the game.

Claudio Echeverri: Echeverri had some nice touches and he remains an enigma, but an extremely talented one.

Jaden Heskey: Heskey played the final ten minutes and showed some positive signs.