After the defeat to Manchester United last week, and the subsequent signings of Benjamin Mendy and Danilo, it was going to be interesting to see how Pep Guardiola’s side have progressed.
Up against a Cristiano Ronaldo-less Real Madrid, Manchester City fielded close to what I would assume could be their starting XI, excluding Mendy and both David and Bernardo Silva, of course.
Ederson remained in goal and showed more stability behind his defensive line. In fact, although there were moments of apparent miscommunication at the back, it was certainly an overall improvement from the first game.
Ederson doesn’t seem to be the most vocal of goalkeepers, unlike Joe Hart, but there is something more reassuring about him being between the posts rather than Claudio Bravo. Our wing backs, in this case, Danilo and Kyle Walker, looked impressive going forward and competent at the back. It is exciting to see the speed we now have, particularly in Walker, starting our attacks from the back, and then the transition into advanced positions.
The game would head into the half goalless although both keepers, Ederson and Keylor Navas, both made fantastic saves to keep their respective goals in tact. It was assumed that it would be all change at the start of the second half but in fact only City made changes with Raheem Sterling, Eliaquim Mangala and Samir Nasri coming on for Vincent Kompany, Phil Foden and Sergio Aguero. In this game the young Foden had been much quieter than his first appearance against United.
Despite all our attacking players though it would be the Nicolas Otamendi who would open the scoring within seven minutes of the restart. The first to pounce on the Navas spill from a John Stones headed attempt and City are a goal ahead.
Within the first 15 minutes of the second half Sterling showed us the frustrating part of his game we all remember from last season, but also what he has the ability to do when he calmly slotted past the Madrid keeper for City’s second goal. If he can get the indecisiveness and going to ground out of his game then it is easy to see he could be getting somewhere back to the guy we saw in his last season at Liverpool.
It was at this point that Real Madrid did ring the changes with most of their first team leaving the field and some younger guys stepping on. Shortly after it was City going 3-0 up as Stones slotted the ball into the bottom left corner, assisted by Kevin De Bruyne.
With 20 minutes left Guardiola removed Gabriel Jesus, De Bruyne and Walker for more young academy prospects, Oleksandr Zinchenko, Demeaco Duhaney and Brahim Diaz and just like Foden in the previous game, they didn’t look out of place on the field. With ten minutes to go, four more younger players stepped onto the pitch this time Leroy Sane, Patrick Roberts, Tosin Adarabioyo and Daniel Grimshaw replaced Danilo, Yaya Toure, Otamendi and Ederson.
Instantly Sane would strike the bottom of the post, making an instant statement before Roberts linked up with the very promising looking youngster Diaz, who slotted home for City’s fourth. The goal was very calmly taken and was arguably the best of the four goals for City on the night, so much so that even when Oscar caught Grimshaw out with a long range effort to make it 4-1 Pep Guardiola still had a big smile on his face and a warm embrace for his 17-year-old striker.
It was only a friendly and City do still have mistakes in them but, as I said before, we showed significant improvement from the last game, and we are still without Mendy, the two Silvas, Ilkay Gundogan didn’t feature and I don’t believe we are done in the transfer market yet. I am certainly excited for the upcoming season, and seasons, ahead.
