City make it two from two in Japan thanks to late Bayern victory

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Manchester City F.C.

·26 de julho de 2023

City make it two from two in Japan thanks to late Bayern victory

Manchester City completed the Japan leg of our pre-season tour with a 2-1 victory over Bayern Munich in Tokyo.

James McAtee opened the scoring midway through the first half after excellent work from Rico Lewis and Julian Alvarez in the build up.

Vídeos OneFootball

After Mathys Tel had equalised for the Bundesliga champions in the 81st minute, City responded through Aymeric Laporte to seal a second victory in as many games in Japan.

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In the sweltering heat of the Japanese summer, Pep Guardiola made nine changes as City work towards the return of competitive football with next Sunday’s Community Shield against Arsenal.

It was again a sold-out crowd at the Japan National Stadium for this meeting of two European heavyweights, just three days after attracting a capacity crowd to the same venue for our 5-3 win over Yokohama F. Marinos.

What happened

Both sides named strong lineups, with Bayern only making two changes from the side that lost at the Etihad Stadium in the first leg of the Champions League quarter-final in April. City made five.

Donning the freshly released electric-feel PUMA third kit for the 2023/24 season, City had all the possession in the opening stages.

Our first chance was almost a carbon copy of City’s first goal against Yokohama F. Marinos on Sunday, with Julian Alvarez laying the ball off to John Stones on the edge of the box.

However, where he found the top corner three days earlier, the England man this time dragged his shot wide.

Bayern are Bundesliga champions and perennial Champions League challengers.

They showed that level of quality as the first half wore on, pouncing on some loose passing from a City side still shaking off the rust of a six-week break.

One such occasion saw former Blue Leroy Sane race towards goal, only to be diverted away by Ederson.

The German winger dug out a pass inside that would have seen Jamal Musiala score the opener but for Nathan Ake’s outstretched leg.

Sane was the danger man again moments later, hitting a free-kick from 25 yards that clattered against the crossbar.

It was a burst of pace from Rico Lewis, playing in the advanced right position of the midfield box, that brought about the opening goal.

The 18-year-old glided beyond Dayot Upamecano and picked out Julian Alvarez. The Argentine struck his first-time shot well, but Yann Sommer in the Bayern goal used a strong right arm to keep it out.

However, James McAtee was the quickest to react to tap into the empty net.

There was some concern for City around the half hour mark as Nathan Ake was substituted for Manuel Akanji a few minutes after taking a knock.

The next chance for both sides came within a minute of each other, with Lewis seeing his shot from 12 yards snuffed out before an immediate Bayern break ended with Ederson being required to punch a Musiala effort away.

Kingsley Coman had two chances to level before the break, but was denied first by Lewis and then Ederson.

Indecision from Bayern goalkeeper Sommer almost saw Alvarez nick the ball off him just yards from goal, but the Swiss international managed to scramble it clear in the nick of time.

Having made that change on the half hour mark, eight substitutions followed at half-time with only Bernardo and Ederson of the starting XI reaching the second period.

City could have doubled our lead with the first major chance of the second half. After slaloming through the Bayern defence, Bernardo found himself on the byline before hitting a cross that was half cleared.

That attempted clearance ended at the feet of Rodrigo around 10 yards out, but the Spaniard's first time shot ricocheted around and was eventually hoofed away.

Oscar Bobb, one of the brightest sparks in the second half against Yokohama F. Marinos, was again a threat.

The Academy graduate was positioned out on the right wing, moving inside on to his left foot as much as possible.

That exact move just before the second half water break saw the opportunity open up for a shot, which he sent just over Sommer's goal.

Bayern remained content to sit back and attempt to catch us on the break, while the intense heat appeared to have an impact on the energy levels of both sides.

Tuchel's tactics eventually paid dividends. With less than 10 minutes to go, Mathys Tel followed up an impressive reflex Ederson save to hammer home from close range.

That sparked City back into life and, after peppering Sommer's goal, we were back in front thanks to a swing of Aymeric Laporte's right boot from close range.

With less than five minutes remaining, the defence that was the bedrock of last season's success was not willing to buckle a second time.

Teams

CITY XI: Ederson, Walker (C) (Cancelo 45), Stones (Rodrigo 45), Dias (Laporte 45), Ake (Akanji 29), Lewis (Bobb 45), Kovacic (Phillips 45), Bernardo (Perrone 71), McAtee (Foden 45), Grealish (Gomez 45), Alvarez (Haaland 45)

Subs: Ortega Moreno, Carson, De Bruyne, Palmer

BAYERN XI: Sommer (Ulreich 45), Mazraoui (Sarr 45), Pavard (Tikvic 45), Upamecano (Stanisic 45), Davies (Kratzig 45), Kimmich (Goretzka 45), Laimer (Gravenberch 45), Musiala (Vidovic 45), Gnabry (Tel 45), Sane (Mane 45), Coman (Wanner 45)

Subs: Hulsmann, Pavlovic, Ibrahimovic

Pep Guardiola Reaction

The boss' thoughts on tonight's game will follow shortly.

Lung-busting Lewis

Rico Lewis is capable of playing in many positions, and Pep Guardiola trusts him.

The teenager and Academy graduate first broke into the senior side as a right-back during last summer’s tour of the US. He’s come a long way in 12 months.

While he’s featured most in the full-back positions, he has shown how comfortable he can be stepping into midfield.

In this game, he was asked to play in the advanced right role of the midfield box that the boss favoured in the second part of last season. It saw him reach a lot of areas on the pitch that we’re more familiar with the likes of Kevin De Bruyne and Bernardo Silva operating in.

It was that high starting position that allowed him to burst into the Bayern box and set up McAtee’s goal.

That didn't prevent him for performing his defensive duties though, with a diving block just before half-time ensuring a Kingsley Coman shot didn't reach the goal.

Whether it’s something Guardiola is considering once the competitive action begins, only time will tell.