Enzo Maresma secured his inaugural triumph as Manchester City’s manager with a convincing 3-1 win over the K‑League All Stars on a bright Seoul evening. The match unfolded at a frenetic pace, delivering all four goals within the first 23 minutes, a stark contrast to City’s recent disappointment in a penalty‑shootout defeat to Inter Milan on Saturday.
The scoring opened with Rayan Ait‑Nouri finding the net in the ninth minute, exploiting the width provided by his wing‑back position. His early strike set the tone for a fluid attacking display that saw Tijjani Reijnders and Divin Mubama each add their names to the scoresheet, while the opposition managed a solitary reply before halftime.
In total, City rotated through 22 players, showcasing the depth of Maresma’s squad and his willingness to experiment during the pre‑season tour. Sky Sports dissected the performance, noting that Maresma explicitly rejected the notion of being a "copy‑and‑paste" successor to Pep Guardiola. Instead, he introduced a tactical blueprint that diverged markedly from the familiar City patterns.
Right‑back Rico Lewis, for instance, frequently drifted inward when the team retained possession, effectively becoming an auxiliary midfielder and reinforcing the central partnership of Mateo Kovačić and Reijnders. This movement created a three‑man defensive line composed of Josko Gvardiol, Abdukodir Khusanov and veteran centre‑back Ruben Dias whenever City held the ball, allowing the full‑backs to support attacks without compromising defensive stability.
On the flanks, Ait‑Nouri and Antoine Semenyo were deployed as high, wide wingers. Their advanced positioning paid immediate dividends: Ait‑Nouri’s early goal arrived from the left wing after a swift interchange with Reijnders, while Semenyo contributed a clever back‑heel assist that set up Reijnders’ second strike. Semenyo, despite not scoring himself, delivered what many observers described as the most influential performance of the afternoon. The Ghanaian international repeatedly tormented the K‑League defence, cutting inside to create space, delivering incisive passes, and ultimately providing the decisive pass that led to Muamba’s rebound finish after his initial shot was parried.
Phil Foden enjoyed a liberated role in the No 10 position, operating behind striker Christopher Muamba, who had already found the net in consecutive pre‑season fixtures. Foden’s freedom allowed him to drift between lines, linking play and creating overloads that further stretched the opposition’s shape. Off the pitch, transfer speculation swirled around Reijnders.
Reports on Tuesday suggested Nottingham Forest were prepared to meet a £55 million valuation for the Dutch midfielder. However, his display in South Korea gave City a compelling argument to retain him.
Reijnders showcased his trademark driving runs from deep, combined with technical finesse that helped City dominate possession and generate clear-cut chances. His low‑driven finish, assisted by Semenyo’s inventive back‑heel, restored City’s lead after the All Stars had briefly equalised.
The match also highlighted potential areas for improvement. City conceded a goal just three minutes after taking the lead, mirroring the quick response they had endured against Inter Milan. Maresma will undoubtedly review this defensive lapse, particularly the vulnerability on the right side, where Dae‑Won Kim’s equaliser originated from a cut‑in maneuver similar to the one that saw Benjamin Pavard score for Inter earlier in the week. Goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma had a relatively quiet afternoon, making only a single save – the pick‑off of the ball after the K‑League’s equaliser.
Nonetheless, he will need to be prepared for a sterner test in the upcoming pre‑season clash against Atletico Madrid, scheduled for Sunday at 12 pm UK time. Beyond the on‑field action, the event was peppered with promotional content from Sky Sports, including a reminder to download their app, follow their WhatsApp channel for real‑time updates, and a call‑to‑action for a Super 6 competition offering a £250,000 prize.
While peripheral to the match itself, these elements underscore the commercial backdrop that accompanies modern football tours. In summary, Maresma’s first match in charge offered a tantalising glimpse of his strategic vision: a flexible back‑four that morphs into a midfield trio when in possession, high‑energy wingers capable of both scoring and creating, and a central midfield anchored by technically adept players like Reijnders and Kovačić. The early goal barrage demonstrated City’s attacking potency, while the brief concession served as a reminder that defensive cohesion remains essential. If the manager can fine‑tune these aspects, Manchester City will head into the new season with a refreshed identity, ready to challenge on all fronts while potentially retaining key assets such as Reijnders, whose performances suggest he could be integral to Maresma’s evolving blueprint.