Manchester City vs. FC Barcelona: A Thrilling Pre-Season Friendly in Orlando
Manchester City faced off against FC Barcelona in their third pre-season friendly of the summer, after an 80-minute weather delay at the Camping World Stadium in Orlando.
James McAtee, a midfielder for Manchester City, was a key player in this entertaining match against Barcelona.
Nico O’Reilly scored his first senior goal for Manchester City, helping the Blues secure a draw in an exciting contest. The match, delayed by a lightning storm, saw City fall behind early when Victor Pau breached their makeshift defense to score past Ederson. Despite Erling Haaland’s effort clearly crossing the line, it was missed by officials. However, O’Reilly equalized with a smart finish from a Josko Gvardiol pass.
Pablo Torre restored Barcelona’s lead just before halftime, but Mateo Kovacic’s impressive turn and run set up Jack Grealish for a crucial goal. This came a day after Grealish expressed his determination to prove his critics wrong.
Player Ratings:
Ederson: Couldn’t do much about the first goal and got a hand to the second. Showed some improvement from the AC Milan game but still not at his best. 6
Rico Lewis: Returned to right-back and exhibited some classy footwork, later moving into midfield. Enjoying a strong pre-season. 6
Josko Gvardiol: Displayed naivety on the first goal but redeemed himself with a brilliant reverse pass for O’Reilly’s equalizer. 6
Kalvin Phillips: Though under pressure and slightly off for Barcelona’s opener, he maintained composure, held his position well, and almost scored. 7
Josh Wilson-Esbrand: Effective going forward, though perhaps missing for Barcelona’s second goal. Holding the left-back position well. 6
Mateo Kovacic: Improved the midfield’s performance significantly. His turn and run to set up Grealish’s goal was a highlight. 7
Nico O’Reilly: Despite some mistakes, he’s growing into the tour. Scored a well-deserved goal and made crucial interceptions. 7
James McAtee: Often unnoticed but reliable, covering for advancing defenders and linking up nicely with the attack. 6
Oscar Bobb: Quieter than in previous games but still a threat with a near-assist from a skillful run. 6
Jack Grealish: Scored a much-needed goal after several near misses, showcasing his determination and skill. 8
Erling Haaland: His goal was controversially not given, but he continued to threaten before being substituted at halftime again. 7
Substitutes:
Stefan Ortega (on 45): Had a few shaky moments but stayed far from goal. 6
Maximo Perrone (on 45): Solid performance but didn’t significantly impact the game. 6
Mahamadou Susoho (on 65): Another useful outing in defensive midfield. 6
Callum Doyle (on 65): Made a crucial challenge to deny Robert Lewandowski. 6
Jacob Wright (on 65): Interchanged effectively with Susoho. 6
Amar Fatah (on 65): Made several impressive runs into the box. 6
Luke Mbete, Micah Hamilton, Jaden Heskey (75-85): All performed adequately but had limited time to make an impact.
