Enzo Maresca’s first game in charge of City ended in a draw.
Inter Milan matched them 1-1 at Kai Tak Stadium, in a repeat of the 2023 Champions League final. The game was eventually decided in Inter’s favour by virtue of a 4-2 penalty shoot-out win.
Divin Mubama scored inside 14 minutes, finishing off a move through Phil Foden and Savinho. Benjamin Pavard levelled six minutes later from a corner routine Inter have leaned on all summer.
City had the better of the second half without breaking Inter down again — Antoine Semenyo and Savinho both crowded out by a back three that barely shifted position all night.
Rodri was missing after a minor back op.
Tijjani Reijnders started in his place, alongside Foden in midfield — tidy rather than incisive on his first outing since arriving from Milan.
Gianluigi Donnarumma made three saves at the other end, matched by Josep Martínez in the Inter goal.
Nicolò Barella and Henrikh Mkhitaryan gave Inter control in midfield whenever they wanted it. Federico Dimarco offered the width he did all last season for Cristian Chivu on the way to the Scudetto.
Inter travelled with close to a full-strength squad, while City did not.
In truth, neither club treated this as more than a fitness exercise, contested for the Asahi Super Dry Trophy.
City still have a K League All-Stars XI and Atlético Madrid to come before their Asia tour wraps up, and the realstuff — Premier League, Champions League — starts after that.
Maresca’s first 90 minutes in charge showed a team understandably still finding its shape rather than one with anything settled.
