Manchester City secured a 3-1 victory over the K-League All Stars in Seoul under new manager Enzo Maresca, with all four goals scored within the first 23 minutes. Rayan Ait-Nouri, Tijjani Reijnders, and Divin Mubama found the net for City, who utilized 22 players throughout the match. Maresca's unorthodox tactics caught attention, as Rico Lewis supported the midfield duo of Mateo Kovacic and Reijnders by tucking in from the right-back position, forming a three-man defense with Josko Gvardiol, Abdukodir Khusanov, and Ruben Dias when in possession. Ait-Nouri and Antoine Semenyo played high and wide as wingers, with the former scoring the opener.
Phil Foden was given a free role behind striker Muamba, who scored in consecutive pre-season games. Reijnders' performance, including a fine low finish and superb setup for Ait-Nouri's goal, may make City reconsider a potential summer move.
Semenyo, despite not scoring, was outstanding, terrorizing the hosts' defense and providing a sublime assist for Reijnders' goal. His replacement, Savinho, did not match Semenyo's levels. Maresca will likely address the team's tendency to concede quickly after scoring, as seen in the K-League All Stars' equalizer and Inter Milan's leveler in the previous match.
The upcoming pre-season game against Atletico Madrid will provide another test for City and goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma.