Manchester City head coach Enzo Maresca expressed satisfaction with his side’s performance despite suffering a 3-1 penalty shootout defeat to Inter Milan after a 1-1 draw in a pre-season friendly in Hong Kong on Saturday.
Matteo Lavelli converted the decisive penalty to seal victory for the Italian champions after the match ended level in normal time. The fixture marked Maresca’s first game in charge of City since succeeding Pep Guardiola in June.
“I’m very happy with the performance,” Maresca told reporters after the match.
“There were many positives, including getting valuable minutes into the players’ legs, which is very important. As always, there are things we can improve, but step by step we’ll get better.”
City made a bright start and took the lead in the 14th minute when Antoine Semenyo drove to the byline before crossing for Divin Mubama, who finished from close range.
Semenyo continued to trouble the Inter defence and nearly doubled City’s advantage moments later with a weaving solo run, but goalkeeper Josep Martinez denied him.
Inter responded quickly, drawing level after City’s defence failed to deal with a cross from Jamal Iddrissou, allowing Benjamin Pavard to fire home from close to the penalty spot.
Both teams created clear-cut opportunities after the interval before a series of substitutions disrupted the flow of the contest.
City came closest to finding a winner late on, with Vitor Reis striking the crossbar and winger Ryan McAidoo hitting the post, but neither side could find a decisive goal before the match proceeded to penalties.
Reflecting on his team’s display, Maresca admitted City needed to improve their pressing during the opening half.
“We were pressing in the wrong way and conceded some switches of play because we were late with our pressing,” he said.
“At half-time we adjusted a few things and I think our pressing in the second half was much, much better.”
Maresca, appointed in June, faces the challenge of succeeding Guardiola, who won 20 trophies during a highly successful decade at the club.
An attendance of almost 43,000 watched the match at Hong Kong’s Kai Tak Stadium, although patches of empty seats resulted in a subdued atmosphere at times.
Several of City’s senior players, including Norway striker Erling Haaland and Spain midfielder Rodri, were absent from the tour. Maresca confirmed that neither player will join the squad in Seoul for the remaining fixtures against a K League All-Star team and Atlético Madrid next week.
City will begin the domestic campaign with the Community Shield against Arsenal on 16 August before opening their Premier League season at home to Bournemouth a week later.
Inter, meanwhile, will conclude their pre-season schedule with fixtures against AC Milan and Juventus before beginning the defence of their Serie A title against Monza on 22 August.
