Man City and Chelsea confirm pre-season plans in Hong Kong | OneFootball

Manchester City and Chelsea will take their pre-season to Hong Kong this summer to take on two giants Italian football.

City will reprise their 2023 Champions League final showdown with Inter Milan in the Asahi Super Dry Trophy, with the match taking place at the Kai Tak Stadium on 1 August during the Hong Kong Football Festival.

It will be the first time City have travelled to the former British colony since 2019, when they beat Kitchee SC 6-1 at the Hong Kong Stadium, and the trip will form part of boss Pep Guardiola's preparations for the 2026-27 campaign.

Peter Laundy, senior vice-president of partnerships at City Football Group, said: "We are thrilled to announce Manchester City's return to Hong Kong as we confirm the club's first pre-season fixture of the summer in Asia.

"Our fans in Hong Kong and the wider region have always shown incredible loyalty and support for the club. The energy and passion we've experienced on previous visits has always been special and we're looking forward to sharing those moments once again with them later in the year, and an exciting fixture against Inter Milan."

Chelsea, meanwhile, return to Hong Kong for the first time in 15 years to clash with Juventus on 5 August, facing the club just over two weeks before the start of the new Premier League season.

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Chelsea join Manchester City in staging a pre-season game in Hong Kong (Reuters)

The Blues last faced Juventus in a competitive meeting in November 2021 when a side managed by Thomas Tuchel won 4-0 in a Champions League group-stage game at Stamford Bridge, following a 1-0 win for Juve in Turin earlier in the competition.

The Serie A side famously dumped the Blues out of the competition when they were holders in 2012 with a 3-0 win in Italy, a defeat which led to the sacking of manager Roberto Di Matteo days later.

Chelsea defeated local side Kitchee and Premier League rivals Aston Villa when they last visited the territory in 2011.