Manchester City Edged Out by AC Milan in Thrilling Pre-Season Clash at Yankee Stadium
Manchester City faced AC Milan in their second pre-season friendly of the summer, held at the iconic Yankee Stadium in New York. Despite a valiant effort, City narrowly lost 3-2 in a match filled with excitement and key moments.
City took an early lead when the brilliant Oscar Bobb, replicating his first assist against Celtic, deftly set up Erling Haaland with a shoulder drop and perfect pass. Haaland didn’t disappoint, slotting the ball home to give City the advantage.
However, Milan quickly responded with two identical goals in five minutes. Samuel Chukwueze delivered pinpoint crosses to the back post, where Lorenzo Colombo was ready to finish past Ederson, turning the game in Milan’s favor.
In the second half, James McAtee equalized for City with a well-placed header from a Micah Hamilton cross. But Milan secured the win when Marco Nasti found the net past Ederson, sealing the 3-2 victory for the Italians.
Player Ratings from Yankee Stadium:
- Ederson: Recalled as captain, made two crucial early stops but was disappointed to let two goals slip through. [Rating: 5]
- Mahamadou Susoho: Played out of position at right-back and struggled to cover the back post. Guardiola offered guidance during the game. [Rating: 6]
- Jahmai Simpson-Pusey: Improved from his debut against Celtic, held his own against strong opposition. [Rating: 6]
- Callum Doyle: Showed versatility by covering both centre-back and left-back positions, demonstrating confidence from loan experiences. [Rating: 7]
- Rico Lewis: Inverted into midfield but struggled defensively on Milan’s goals. Still showing promise in pre-season. [Rating: 6]
- Maximo Perrone: Replaced Phillips, secured the midfield despite some positional lapses. [Rating: 6]
- James McAtee: A crucial summer for him, made an impact with a well-timed goal. [Rating: 7]
- Nico O’Reilly: Better than his performance against Celtic, held midfield well. [Rating: 6]
- Jack Grealish: Played centrally and as a number nine in the second half, consistent if not spectacular. [Rating: 6]
- Oscar Bobb: Continues to impress with another dazzling assist and almost a solo goal. [Rating: 8]
- Erling Haaland: Delivered the goal fans wanted before being substituted at half-time. [Rating: 7]
Substitutes:
- Kalvin Phillips (on 45): Improved from Celtic game but needs to reduce misplaced passes. [Rating: 6]
- Josh Wilson-Esbrand (on 45): Played better by not inverting, helped create overloads. [Rating: 6]
- Micah Hamilton (on 45): Provided a nice assist for McAtee. [Rating: 7]
- Jadel Katongo (on 45): Solid performance. [Rating: 6]
- Jacob Wright (on 64): Better than his previous cameo. [Rating: 6]
- Amar Fatah (on 67): Showed promise with a run into the area. [Rating: 6]
- Scott Carson (on 73): Cult-hero keeper kept a clean sheet in a rare appearance. [Rating: 7]
- Josko Gvardiol (on 73): Limited time to impact but played as centre-back. [Rating: 6]
City’s pre-season tour in the U.S. continues with matches against Barcelona and Chelsea, leading up to the Community Shield showdown against Manchester United. Guardiola’s men then kick off their Premier League campaign against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.
Stay tuned for all the build-up, live action, reactions, and in-depth analysis.
