- Man City will travel to Hong Kong
- Club partaking in Hong Kong Football Festival
- First opponent of tour announced
Manchester City have picked their pre-season destination, and the club’s first opponent has been announced.
This summer will see Manchester City go on a pre-season tour for the first time in two campaigns, after a more competitive pre-season last year.
The Citizens took part in the newly expanded Club World Cup and won their opening three matches, before suffering a 4-3 defeat to Al-Hilal.
Man City did play one friendly before the season began, a 3-0 win against Palermo. And there will be more of these types of matches this summer, with the club’s first opponent already announced.
Man City will play Inter Milan in Hong Kong
On Tuesday morning, Man City announced a pre-season tour of Hong Kong, in what will be their first visit to the region in seven years.
City will play Inter Milan in The Asahi Super Dry Trophy at the Kai Tak Stadium on Saturday, August 1, as part of the Hong Kong Football Festival.
Of course, the two teams met in the 2023 Champions League final, which saw Man City record a 1-0 victory and lift their first ever European Cup.
The sides met again two years later in the group stage. This fixture was far less memorable, ending in a 0-0 draw at the Etihad Stadium.
Pre-season is still a long way off
Even if City win the Premier League, it is difficult to know what the morale of their players will be like in pre-season.
This is because the World Cup is kicking off in June, and the Sky Blues are likely to have a host of their stars competing at the tournament.
International football will ultimately be their main focus and before that, everything has to be about securing the Premier League and FA Cup.
Nevertheless, the club’s pre-season preparations will be very important. New players will need to integrate into the squad.
Additionally those already there will need to boost their match fitness before a campaign where winning the Champions League may well be viewed as a priority. This will be especially true if the current season ends in domestic success.
Pep Guardiola might not lead Man City in Hong Kong
There are uncertain times ahead for Man City. The trip to Hong Kong might bear even greater significance, as it could be the first chance a new manager has to identify his best players.
Pep Guardiola’s future remains undecided, but there is a chance he will leave a year before his contract expires.
If he does, City’s match against Inter will be about the new boss building a connection with his players before the season begins.
There will not be much time between the conclusion of the World Cup and the start of the 2026/27 campaign, so the importance of this Hong Kong friendly must not be understated.
