City's Pre-Season Friendly Highlights: Key Performances and Questions

Pre-season friendlies rarely offer definitive answers, but this one in Korea did at least sharpen a few questions for City’s new era.

A mixed XI eased through long stretches against the K-League selection, only for a rare lapse from Gianluigi Donnarumma at his near post to blot an otherwise uneventful afternoon for the Italian. He had one serious action: pick the ball out of his net. He’ll know he should have done better. Rating: 5.

Defence: quiet shifts and a captain’s audition

Rico Lewis tucked in from right-back as he so often does, neat and tidy but never quite grabbing the game. His touch and awareness again hinted that his future may lie higher up, knitting play in midfield rather than patrolling the flank. 6.

Alongside him, Abdukodir Khusanov cruised. With City largely camped in the opposition half, the Uzbek’s pace and recovery work were barely needed. It was a 45-minute stroll, nothing more, nothing less. 6.

Ruben Dias took the armband and immediately looked the part. Vocal, commanding, constantly organising, he carried himself like the man who expects to keep that role now that Bernardo Silva has gone. There were no last-ditch heroics required, but his authority was unmistakable. 6.

On the left, Josko Gvardiol offered a different kind of statement. Stationed at full-back rather than in his usual central role, he barely broke sweat defensively and handled the position with calm assurance. With centre-back options stacked for Enzo Maresca, this might be the clearest sign yet that Gvardiol could open the season as a starting left-back. 6.

Midfield: Reijnders takes centre stage

Mateo Kovacic looked like a man who has left last season’s injury troubles behind. Sharp on the turn, always available, he saw plenty of the ball and knitted passages together with the assurance of a player who expects to be central while Rodri is absent. He has already said the club “count on me” this season; on this evidence, they just might. 7.

Next to him, Tijjani Reijnders produced the standout performance. Given licence to roam, he repeatedly surged into dangerous areas, driving past markers and arriving in the box with purpose. He played a major role in the opener, then thumped home a superb second with a rasping finish that underlined his threat from midfield. This was the full showcase. 8.

Rayan Ait-Nouri, pushed further forward from his natural left-back berth, made that tactical tweak look inspired. He timed his run well and finished first time to break the deadlock, a composed strike that suggested this more advanced role could become a useful weapon. 7.

Attack: flashes of brilliance, chances missed

On the right, Antoine Semenyo buzzed. Lively, direct, and always willing to try something, the Ghanaian produced one of the game’s most eye-catching moments with an audacious flick to tee up Reijnders’ goal. Another pre-season outing, another reminder of his unpredictability. 8.

Phil Foden drifted into pockets, constantly scanning for angles and passes, but his afternoon never quite caught fire. The biggest chance fell to him in a prime position; he lashed it over, a waste that summed up a slightly off-key display. 6.

Divin Mubama, by contrast, made his moment count. The young striker poached his second goal in as many pre-season games, reacting quickest after the goalkeeper spilled a shot to tuck the ball away. He should have had another with the goal gaping, only to somehow fail to convert, but his nose for danger is doing his first-team prospects no harm at all. 7.

Second-half changes: auditions and glimpses

Marcus Bettinelli, usually third in line for the gloves, stepped in without fuss. He dealt calmly with what little came his way, including a confident claim from a high cross under pressure. 6.

Vitor Reis reacted sharply to snuff out a dangerous counter, racing back to make a key block as the K-League XI threatened to break clear. It was one of the few truly testing defensive moments and he handled it well. 6.

Max Alleyne read the game smartly, sliding across to shut down an opponent at a crucial moment. No dramatics, just solid, sensible defending. 6.

Savinho, so bright against Inter, couldn’t find the same spark here. He struggled to impose himself and drifted on the periphery. 6.

Nico Gonzalez, always wanting the ball, kept offering himself in midfield and moving it on. With Rodri unavailable, he will be eyeing any opening to step up; this was a steady, if unspectacular, audition. 6.

Stephen Mfuni banked more minutes at left-back, another small step in his development as an England youth international. It was a low-drama outing, but valuable experience all the same. 6.

Matheus Nunes returned from World Cup duty with Portugal and slotted back into his now-familiar right-back role. He linked play, overlapped when possible, and did his job without fuss. 6.

Omar Marmoush, fresh from Egypt’s World Cup campaign, worked hard but left frustrated. He couldn’t direct a header on target and saw two further efforts repelled by the goalkeeper. The movement was there; the finishing touch was not. 6.

Jaden Heskey, whose brother Reigan departed the club this summer, got his own run-out and a chance to stake his claim. Whether he stays or goes remains to be seen, but he at least put himself back in the shop window. 6.

Claudio Echeverri found it harder to influence proceedings after coming on. The Argentine saw little of the ball and never quite managed to stamp his authority on the game. 6.

Jeremy Monga, the £10m teenager signed from Leicester, finally pulled on a City shirt in competitive surroundings. He showed glimpses of why the club moved for him and thought he had capped his debut with a goal, only for it to be ruled out. Even so, that brief taste will only fuel the excitement around what he might bring. 6.

Several youngsters – Jack Wint, Max Chabot, Kaden Braithwaite, Matty Henderson-Hall, Divine Mukasa, Xavier Parker, Floyd Samba and Mahamadou Sangare – stayed on the bench this time, their opportunities still to come.

Pre-season is about shapes, hints and questions. Dias with the armband. Gvardiol at left-back. Reijnders driving games from midfield. As the competitive fixtures edge closer, Maresca’s biggest decision may not be who he trusts, but how quickly he’s willing to turn those hints into hard selections.