By Dorcas Francis Koji
Manchester City manager Enzo Maresca has expressed satisfaction with his side’s performance despite suffering a penalty shootout defeat to Inter Milan in his first game in charge of the Premier League champions.
City were held to a 1-1 draw before losing 3-1 on penalties in the Asahi Super Dry Trophy at Kai Tak Stadium on Saturday, with Matteo Lavelli converting the decisive spot-kick to hand the Serie A champions victory.
Speaking after the match, Maresca said the result was secondary to assessing his squad and building fitness ahead of the new season.
“I’m very happy with the performance. There were many positive things, especially the playing time for the players, which is very important. Like always, there are areas we can improve, but we’ll continue to develop gradually,” he said.
Manchester City made a bright start and took the lead in the 14th minute through young striker Divin Mubama, who finished from close range after a well-delivered cross by Antoine Semenyo.
Semenyo remained a constant threat throughout the opening half and came close to doubling City’s advantage after a dazzling solo run, but his effort was denied by Inter goalkeeper Josep Martinez.
Inter responded swiftly, drawing level after City failed to clear a cross from Jamal Iddrissou, allowing defender Benjamin Pavard to finish from inside the penalty area.
Both sides created opportunities after the restart, with City coming closest through Vitor Reis, whose effort struck the crossbar, while youngster Ryan McAidoo also hit the woodwork as the English side searched for a winner.
Maresca admitted his team struggled with their pressing during the opening half but praised the players for responding positively after tactical adjustments during the interval.
“We were pressing in the wrong way in the first half and allowed them too much space. We corrected a few things at halftime, and I thought our pressing improved significantly in the second half,” he said.
The encounter marked Maresca’s first outing since succeeding Pep Guardiola, who stepped down after an illustrious decade that yielded 20 major trophies for Manchester City.
Around 43,000 supporters attended the fixture at Hong Kong’s Kai Tak Stadium, although sections of empty seats were visible throughout the match.
Several key City players, including Erling Haaland and Rodri, did not travel for the club’s pre-season tour of Asia. Maresca confirmed that both players will also miss the remaining fixtures in Seoul, where City are scheduled to face a K League All-Star team and Atletico Madrid next week.
Manchester City will begin their competitive campaign against Arsenal in the Community Shield on August 16, before opening the new Premier League season at home against Bournemouth a week later.
Inter Milan, meanwhile, will conclude their preparations with fixtures against AC Milan and Juventus before launching the defence of their Serie A title against Monza on August 22.
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