Manchester City earned a 3-1 victory against the K-League All Stars in Seoul as manager Enzo Maresca implemented new tactical structures. City scored all three goals in the opening quarter of the match at the Seoul World Cup Stadium during their first proper week of the post-Pep Guardiola era. Maresca hopes the searing heat in South Korea will help fast-track the squad's fitness before their season starts a week on Sunday.
Local authorities in Seoul advised residents to stay indoors because of suffocating heat, where 35°C temperatures carried a real feel of 45°C. Despite the severe humidity, City pressed their South Korean opponents with high intensity throughout the fixture.
Rayan Ait-Nouri opened the scoring inside nine minutes after receiving a pass from Tijjani Reijnders in the right-hand channel. Kim Dae-won equalised for the K-League All Stars from the edge of the box by beating Gianluigi Donnarumma at his near post, a mistake the Italian goalkeeper will look to eliminate before competitive matches begin.
Reijnders put City back in front on 20 minutes with a low strike, swivelling first time into the far corner following combined work from Rico Lewis and Antoine Semenyo. Divin Mubama added the third goal by mopping up a saved Semenyo effort to score his second poacher's finish of pre-season.
Midfield selections and transfer decisions
Mateo Kovacic was bullish about his future this week, claiming he never received any indication from City hierarchy that a summer departure was planned despite external interest. The Croatian international started as the deep-lying No6 in both pre-season friendlies, operating ahead of Nico Gonzalez.
Gonzalez, who joined from Porto for £50million in January 2025, had the summer off after missing Spain's World Cup squad. Sources suggested at the end of last season that City would listen to offers for Gonzalez, who replaced Kovacic at half-time in Seoul.
Reijnders remained on the pitch for just over an hour amid interest from Nottingham Forest regarding a £55million transfer. The Dutch midfielder has much to prove in the Premier League, though his ability as a strong ball-carrier crashing late into the box fits Maresca's tactical plans.
City manager Maresca addressed the transfer speculation surrounding Reijnders after the match.
"He is here with us," Maresca said. "The players that are with us until the day that they aren't with us, it's my duty to do the best for them. I'm happy with his performance and he's working good since he came back from his holiday. At the moment I'm very happy with him."
City face major squad decisions in the coming weeks, even if Rodri receives his wish to join Real Madrid. The club is set to integrate £116million record signing Elliot Anderson before next weekend's Community Shield, while a move for Lille's 18-year-old Morocco midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi is also progressing.
Tactical role for Divin Mubama
Striker Divin Mubama led the attack and offered indications of how Maresca might structure the team around Erling Haaland. The 21-year-old West Ham United academy product, who scored five goals on loan at Stoke City last season, is currently subject to loan interest from several Championship clubs.
Mubama insisted that Maresca's arrival represents a fresh start for his career. During the match, City deployed a 4-2-4 pressing formation with Phil Foden positioned alongside Mubama at the front of the shape.
Foden was tasked with leading the team's pressing movements high up the pitch. Mubama dropped deeper into a No10 position to mark the K-League midfield, giving Foden more space and freedom to initiate the defensive press.
Mubama shows greater adaptability at hunting down possession high up the field than Haaland. When Haaland plays, he can instead be deployed to block passing lanes while teammates lead the primary press.
Winger competition and team depth
Jeremy Doku has yet to return to the squad following the World Cup after recently becoming a father. Doku remains the premier winger at the club, but Antoine Semenyo has made a strong impression on the opposite flank.
Semenyo revealed that Maresca's instructions for wide players to stay high are music to his ears, recalling similar tactics used by Chelsea's wingers. The Ghana international displayed direct play on both flanks and stated his intention to add more mystery to his game.
Semenyo contributed directly to two of City's goals through a combination of power and ingenuity, solidifying his position during pre-season preparations.
