Manchester City earned a 3-1 victory over K-League All Stars in their pre-season friendly at the Seoul World Cup Stadium. Enzo Maresca claimed his first win as City manager in extreme heat.
Rayan Aït-Nouri opened the scoring after nine minutes, finishing after an assist from Tijjani Reijnders. The early breakthrough gave City control despite temperatures over 32 degrees at kickoff.
K-League All Stars responded quickly when Kim Dae-won equalised in the 12th minute. His strike briefly lifted the home crowd in the Coupang Play Series exhibition.
City restored their lead in the 20th minute when Reijnders scored, assisted by Antoine Semenyo for his first contribution. Divin Mubama then made it 3-1 three minutes later to complete a rapid first-half burst.
The contest was played in punishing conditions with temperatures around 36 degrees in Seoul. City were without several World Cup stars resting, including Erling Haaland and Rodri, on their 2026 Asia Tour.
The tempo dropped significantly after the break as both sides made extensive changes. A total of 24 substitutions were made across the two teams as Maresca rotated his squad.
City thought they had added a fourth when Jeremy Monga found the net in the second half. The effort was ruled out for handball, keeping the scoreline at 3-1.
It was City's second pre-season friendly under new manager Maresca. The win followed an opening 1-1 draw against Inter Milan and delivered Maresca his first victory in charge.
Jeong Jeong-yong said: “Although we conceded goals, I hope we brought some joy to K League fans through our scoring. I would also like to thank the players for giving their all...”
“We faced the best players in terms of individual skill, physicality, and functionality. The performance they showed on the field was something I, as well as the players, could experience firsthand.”
The result has no bearing on competitive standings as a club friendly. City now continue their Asia Tour preparations with fitness the priority rather than points.
