Manchester Metropolis surrendered their unbeaten pre-season file with a 2-1 defeat to Atletico Madrid.
Memphis Depay and Yannick Carrasco got here on within the second half and scored to shock Metropolis, who pulled one again within the dying minutes via Ruben Dias’ header.
An entertaining, end-to-end match noticed the groups enter half-time at 0-0, but it surely was Atletico’s second-half adjustments which proved superior as Pep Guardiola’s second string struggled to search out their rhythm.
The Sky Blues created loads of possibilities and that can be an encouraging takeaway. On the again of wins over Yokahama Marinos and Bayern Munich, Metropolis’s tour of Asia has confirmed successful, each in a footballing and industrial sense, however this loss dampens the temper.
Listed below are three issues we discovered.
Memphis Depay opened the scoring within the second half as Atletico’s substitutions paid off
Yannick Carrasco scored the essential second purpose which gave his facet respiration room over Metropolis
Ruben Dias rose above the opposition with ease to transform a late headed comfort
Pep Guardiola hammers dwelling exhausting work message even amid punishing warmth and jet lag
These are such vital weeks for each workforce up and down the nation however notably for these in European competitions. Pep Guardiola has been on it in Asia, demanding no slacking all through coaching classes.
Given the packed schedule, Guardiola scales coaching again because the season wears on, solely out on the grass for simply half an hour at a time throughout some factors of the run-in, so Metropolis goal to squeeze nearly all of their new tactical work in earlier than the primary recreation of the marketing campaign.
The warmth waves in each Japan and South Korea haven’t been splendid for that, with Guardiola saying that they haven’t been in a position to work on the depth he may need hoped. It was considerably ironic, then, that the ultimate pleasant earlier than the Group Defend, in Seoul towards Atletico Madrid, was nearly known as off due to the climate, with a 40-minute delay to kick off.
Even with the warmth, and a squad scuffling with jet lag all through, the messages have remained robust via from supervisor to squad.
‘To be trustworthy, generally after a season like we had, whenever you begin coaching once more and we’re urgent excessive and we lose the ball, perhaps you don’t monitor again such as you used to,’ Nathan Ake defined.
Nathan Ake, who sat out with Kevin de Bruyne, mentioned Guardiola has ‘hammered’ Metropolis in coaching
‘Final season, after you have got been combating the whole lot, perhaps it takes a short while to get again to that. However from the very first day, the supervisor went into that and made certain we have been doing the identical issues.
‘If you happen to don’t begin doing it now then it’s going to be too late for the Arsenal recreation, the Sevilla recreation and the Burnley recreation. In order that’s why he’s hammered us right away, in order that we’ve the identical work price. He’s been on high of us.’
Tactical tweaks present perception and show Kyle Walker’s vlaue as Diego Simeone’s facet present robust check
There have been some minor tweaks on present in Seoul, which may show instructive to how Metropolis plan to defend their numerous titles. Julian Alvarez performed up with Erling Haaland and Metropolis operated with a lopsided three in behind.
Phil Foden was off the best however spent a lot of the evening centrally, liberating up area for Kyle Walker to maraud ahead. The set-up proved as soon as extra why Walker is so essential to Guardiola, as a result of there may be no one else on this squad who may carry out that function to the identical diploma. Trailed by Bayern Munich, Metropolis have provided the best again a brand new contract.
It’s a refined distinction on the identical theme, though John Stones wasn’t requested to maneuver into midfield fairly a lot given the bottom Walker needed to cowl. The 4-1-3-2 will symbolize one other string to Metropolis’s bow if they’ll crack it.
Julian Alvarez performed up entrance with Erling Haaland and was one in all their brighter sparks in Seoul
Guardiola resisted to make a raft of adjustments on the break, saving them for the fifty fifth minute, which supplies a sign on the workforce he’ll choose for Sunday’s Group Defend towards Arsenal. Nathan Ake, Kevin De Bruyne and Cole Palmer all sat out the final pleasant with accidents.
Metropolis escaped with none additional knocks, regardless of a niggly affair with Atletico, who noticed Cesar Azpilicueta cautioned early on for hacking at Jack Grealish. Diego Simeone’s touchline histrionics and the encircling of the referee made this really feel like a aggressive fixture on the finish of a well-organised journey on the pitch.
Metropolis mania in Asia factors to a profitable journey as 23,000 followers watch workforce practice
Metropolis have been flying again to Manchester straight after Atletico and chief government Ferran Soriano can be wanting again on a job nicely executed, as a result of this has been a Metropolis tour like no different and one which earned them in extra of £16million. The size and curiosity has ramped as much as new ranges in a fortnight that encapsulated what a draw the membership are nowadays.
The Treble issue and the Haaland issue helped Metropolis take over this continent for 3 matches and it was mayhem in all places. Even when Haaland was serving pie and chips out of a van at one fan occasion.
Twenty-three thousand individuals turned as much as simply watch coaching in Seoul’s World Cup stadium and the Premier League champions have been mobbed on the airport in scenes that even shocked employees. Greater than six million individuals are subscribed to Coupang Play, who streamed Metropolis’s coaching session and the Atletico match.
The Man Metropolis fanfare has been robust in South Korea, in addition to Japan after they have been there
The assembly with Atletico bought out inside half-hour of tickets occurring sale – with followers again in England struggling to supply tickets for the 2 Tokyo friendlies as nicely.
Queues for merchandise snaked proper across the Japan Nationwide Stadium, the outlets utterly emptied as they set data for matchday gross sales. Hundreds turned up for photos with the three trophies and at occasions at karaoke bars and PUMA shops.
Guardiola did concede that they have been right here for industrial causes but it surely appears to have had the specified impact, which isn’t at all times the case for these abroad jaunts.
‘I wasn’t ready for what has occurred,’ mentioned ambassador Shaun Wright-Phillips. ‘It’s improbable and reveals the place the membership has now bought to. These gamers aren’t simply stars in England. They’re international superstars – and so they deserve that after what they’ve achieved.
‘The fanbase simply retains rising. Each time I come to this a part of the world, the variety of followers who come out preserve getting larger and larger.’
