Enzo Maresca’s reign as Manchester City head coach gets under way on Saturday when the Blues meet Inter Milan in a pre-season friendly at Kai Tak Sports Park in Hong Kong.
Handed the task of succeeding Pep Guardiola after a decade of unprecedented success at the Etihad Stadium, Maresca takes charge for the first time as City begin a three-match trip to Asia that also includes fixtures against a K-League All Stars XI and Atletico Madrid in Seoul.
City secured a domestic cup double last season but failed to reclaim the Premier League title, and Saturday’s meeting with the team they beat in the 2023 Champions League final offers an early look at how the new head coach intends to set his side up. With several senior players still on an extended break following the World Cup, a youthful City line-up is expected, giving academy graduates and summer signings a chance to make an early impression.
“Tomorrow is the first game, for us always it’s an opportunity to try to improve and get better,” said Maresca. “And I think now we are in a process where it’s important that we can play this kind of game for the physical conditions. We’re happy to be here, train here and play the game tomorrow.
“We’re going to be judged always, not just tomorrow. It’s important now that we started 10 days ago altogether, we’re introducing new concepts. This is our main focus.”
Inter, meanwhile, arrive in good shape under Cristian Chivu. The Nerazzurri swept to the Serie A title last season, finishing 11 points clear of runners-up Napoli, and added a 10th Coppa Italia to complete a first domestic double since 2010, despite a disappointing early exit in Europe. Pre-season has brought a 16-0 rout of SV Aasen and a fightback win over Karlsruher, with Andy Diouf scoring twice in each match.
The occasion is also notable for John Stones, who officially completed his free transfer to Inter this week after a decade at City, though the England defender remains on holiday and will not feature against his old club.
Team News for Manchester City v Inter Milan
Maresca has named a 28-man travelling squad for the Asia tour, with a host of World Cup participants given extended rest. Erling Haaland, Jeremy Doku, Rayan Cherki, Nico O’Reilly, Marc Guehi and Elliot Anderson are all unavailable as a result. Ruben Dias, Omar Marmoush and Matheus Nunes will arrive in Hong Kong on Saturday morning but won’t be considered for the game.
Rodri, fresh from winning the World Cup with Spain, is also missing after undergoing minor back surgery, while Jack Grealish continues his recovery from a stress fracture in his foot sustained while on loan at Everton. James Trafford, who is closing in on a £40million move to Leeds United, has not travelled, and Kalvin Phillips is expected to depart in the coming days.
With Bernardo Silva, Stones and Nathan Ake also having left the club this summer, several fringe players and academy prospects are set to be involved, including summer signing Jeremy Monga, Under-21s striker Divin Mubamba and teenage winger Ryan McAidoo.
Inter have their own selection issues following the World Cup, with captain Lautaro Martinez among those still absent. Chivu has already strengthened his goalkeeping options with the arrival of Ivan Provedel from Lazio, who will compete with Josep Martinez following Yann Sommer’s departure, while Aleksandar Stankovic has returned to the club after an impressive loan spell at Club Brugge. Diouf, in good early pre-season form, could offer a like-for-like option on the right of the attack following Denzel Dumfries’ move to Real Madrid.
Expected line-ups for Manchester City v Inter Milan
Manchester City: Donnarumma; Lewis, Reis, Khusanov, Ait-Nouri; Gonzalez; Savinho, Reijnders, Foden, Monga; Mubamba
Inter Milan: Martinez; Bisseck, Bovio, Augusto; Diouf, Barella, Zielinski, Stankovic, Dimarco; Iddrissou, Esposito
How to watch Manchester City v Inter Milan: TV and online streams
Manchester City v Inter Milan kicks off at 12:30pm UK time on Saturday 1st August, which is 7:30pm local time in Hong Kong.
There is no free-to-air broadcast in the UK, but the match will be shown live worldwide via City’s subscription streaming service, CITY+. Viewers in Italy can also watch via DAZN.
Stats for Manchester City v Inter Milan
- This is Manchester City’s first match since Pep Guardiola’s departure after a decade in charge, with Enzo Maresca taking the reins
- The sides have met twice competitively, both in the last three years: City won the 2022/23 Champions League final in Istanbul thanks to Rodri’s second-half strike, while a 2024/25 Champions League league-phase meeting finished 0-0
- Inter enter the game as reigning Serie A champions, having won the title by 11 points and added the Coppa Italia to complete a domestic double
- The clubs have also met twice in pre-season tournaments, with City winning the 2011 Dublin Super Cup 3-0 and Inter winning 3-0 in Baltimore in 2010
Prediction for Manchester City v Inter Milan
Pre-season results should always be taken with a pinch of salt, particularly with City fielding an unfamiliar line-up in Maresca’s first game and several of Inter’s own senior players still absent.
However, Chivu’s side are further into their pre-season programme and have shown better match sharpness in their two warm-up fixtures so far, which should count for something even in a friendly.
Prediction: Manchester City 1-2 Inter Milan
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