Manchester City vs Atletico Madrid. Friendly Match.
Seoul World Cup StadiumAttendance64,185.
Ruben Dias' late header from a corner was only a consolation for Man City after goals from Depay and Carrasco put Atleti ahead in Seoul; kick-off had been delayed by 40 minutes due to heavy rainfall; City next in action on Sunday in the Community Shield against Arsenal at Wembley
Sunday 30 July 2023 15:43, UK
Manchester City's tour of Asia ended in defeat with Atletico Madrid seeing off the treble winners 2-1 in a rain-soaked Seoul.
After a 40-minute delay to kick-off due to a torrential downpour, second-half strikes from former Manchester United forward Memphis Depay and Yannick Carrasco put the Spanish side in control.
Ruben Dias did head in a late consolation with six minutes to play from a corner, but City were unable to back up their previous wins on the tour against Japanese champions Yokohama F. Marinos or Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich.
Kyle Walker - linked with a move to Bayern - did hit the bar from 30 yards and Erling Haaland and Phil Foden went close in the first half either side of an Alvaro Morata header which flew narrowly over the bar.
In total, City - who had almost 59 per cent possession - took 15 shots to Atletico's nine but couldn't break down Diego Simeone's well-organised side until that late set-piece.
Beyond the result, the workout is likely to prove a useful one for head coach Pep Guardiola, who fielded an extremely strong side for 55 minutes before making wholesale changes as he builds his squad up for their defence of their Premier League, Champions League and FA Cup crowns.
Kevin De Bruyne, still sidelined with the hamstring problem he experienced in the Champions League final, Nathan Ake, who limped out of the friendly with Bayern, and Cole Palmer, who could be set for a loan move, and Maximo Perrone were the only outfielders not involved.
There was no immediate post-match reaction from Guardiola as City, rushed by the delayed kick-off, headed straight for their return flight to England after the match.
Sunday's Community Shield match-up with Premier League runners-up Arsenal is next on their agenda before they begin their 2023/24 league campaign at Burnley on Friday August 11, live on Sky Sports.
Man City take on Arsenal at Wembley in the Community Shield on Sunday August 6, kick-off 4pm.