Pre-season Insights: City’s Mixed XI vs K-League Selection

Pre-season nights rarely tell the full story of a campaign, but they do whisper clues. In this one, as City’s mixed XI went through the gears against the K-League selection, it felt like a look into Enzo Maresca’s laboratory: experiments everywhere, reputations quietly on the line, and one or two players making a serious case for themselves.

Donnarumma’s quiet ordeal

Gianluigi Donnarumma endured the kind of evening goalkeepers loathe: almost nothing to do, then a moment he’ll want back. Beaten at his near post for the K-League XI’s equaliser, his main contribution was picking the ball out of the net. No sweeping heroics, no spectacular saves. Just a reminder that even the elite can switch off when the game drifts. Rating: 5.

Defence: leadership, auditions and a stroll

On the right, Rico Lewis kept things neat without ever really catching fire. Solid, tidy, but subdued. His display only underlined what last weekend already suggested – his sharpest work might come higher up, stepping into midfield where his touch and awareness can shape the game. Rating: 6.

Abdukodir Khusanov barely broke sweat. With City on the front foot for long spells, the Uzbek defender’s pace and recovery work were rarely called upon. He cruised through his 45 minutes, unruffled and largely untested. Rating: 6.

Alongside him, Ruben Dias wore the captain’s armband and carried himself like it belongs to him. Vocal, commanding, constantly organising. With Bernardo Silva gone, the question hangs in the air: is this the man who now takes the role permanently? On this evidence, he looks every inch the leader Maresca might need. Rating: 6.

Josko Gvardiol’s evening felt like an audition. Stationed at left-back in a squad stacked with centre-halves, he looked entirely at ease. No alarms, no chaos down his flank, just a calm, controlled outing that will have Maresca wondering if this is a viable long-term tweak. Rating: 6.

Midfield engine: Kovacic sharp, Reijnders outstanding

Mateo Kovacic looked like a man who has left last season’s injury troubles behind. The Croatian saw plenty of the ball, knitting play together with that familiar glide through midfield. With Rodri absent and Kovacic recently telling BBC Sport the club “count on me” this season, he is positioning himself as a key early-season pillar. Rating: 7.

Next to him, Tijjani Reijnders stole the show. Given licence to roam, he drove at the K-League XI with those long, marauding runs that bend defensive lines out of shape. He played a major part in the opening goal and then thundered in a superb second of his own, a rasping finish that capped a performance full of intent and personality. Rating: 8.

Rayan Ait-Nouri, pushed further forward from his usual left-back berth, looked like he’d been waiting for this freedom. He timed his run and finish perfectly for the opener, a crisp first-time strike that showcased a winger’s instinct rather than a full-back’s caution. Rating: 7.

Phil Foden floated into pockets between the lines, always scanning, always available. The rhythm was there, the movement too, but not quite the end product: he lashed a very presentable chance over the bar when he should have done better. A busy but slightly frustrating outing. Rating: 6.

Spark in attack: Semenyo and Mubama make their case

From the right, Antoine Semenyo lit up the contest. Lively, direct, constantly probing, the Ghanaian produced another eye-catching display. His audacious flick to tee up Reijnders’ goal summed him up on the night – inventive, confident, and unafraid to try something outrageous in the final third. Rating: 8.

Divin Mubama, leading the line, continued to nudge the first-team door open. He pounced like a classic poacher to score his second goal in as many pre-season games, reacting quickest after the goalkeeper spilled the ball. He should have had another, somehow failing to convert with the goal gaping, but his nose for chances will not have gone unnoticed. Rating: 7.

Second-half shuffle: auditions and cameos

Marcus Bettinelli, usually watching from the shadows as third-choice goalkeeper, handled his moment calmly. When the K-League XI slung in a dangerous high cross, he came out decisively to claim it, easing any nerves about his sharpness. Rating: 6.

Vitor Reis delivered one of those actions coaches love: a rapid recovery run and a crucial block as the hosts threatened on the break. It was a small moment, but an important one, showing alertness and commitment. Rating: 6.

Max Alleyne read the game well, stepping across at the right time to snuff out an opposition attack. Nothing spectacular, but the kind of composed intervention that sticks in a staff’s notebook. Rating: 6.

Savinho, so bright against Inter at the weekend, couldn’t quite find the same spark here. The game drifted around him, his influence limited, his touches never quite turning into telling moments. Rating: 6.

Nico Gonzalez kept showing for the ball, always available, always wanting to dictate. With Rodri out, he will be eyeing any opening to climb the pecking order, and while this wasn’t a headline-grabbing display, it was another steady step. Rating: 6.

Stephen Mfuni banked more minutes at left-back, valuable experience for the England youth international. He did what was asked of him, no drama, no glaring errors. Rating: 6.

Matheus Nunes, back from World Cup duty with Portugal, slotted into what has become his now-familiar role at right-back. He moved with assurance, kept the ball moving and offered balance on that flank. Rating: 6.

Omar Marmoush, another returning from World Cup action with Egypt, worked hard but left frustrated. He couldn’t steer a header on target and saw two further efforts repelled by the goalkeeper. The movement was there; the finish was not. Rating: 6.

Jaden Heskey’s appearance carried a hint of intrigue. With his brother Reigan departing the club this summer, the question now hovers over Jaden’s own future. On the pitch, he kept it simple, contributing without carving out a defining moment. Rating: 6.

Claudio Echeverri came on in the second half but struggled to imprint himself on the contest. The ball passed him by too often, leaving little of note to mark his cameo. Rating: 6.

Jeremy Monga, the £10m teenager signed from Leicester, finally stepped into a City shirt for the first time. Supporters will have liked what they saw in flashes, and he was unlucky to see a goal chalked off. It was only a glimpse, but it hinted at why the club moved for him. Rating: 6.

Among the unused substitutes were Jack Wint, Max Chabot, Kaden Braithwaite, Matty Henderson-Hall, Divine Mukasa, Xavier Parker, Floyd Samba and Mahamadou Sangare, all waiting their turn in a squad brimming with youth and ambition.

Pre-season can deceive, but it also reveals. Reijnders and Semenyo looked ready to grab bigger roles, Dias carried himself like a captain-in-waiting, and Mubama kept knocking loudly on the door. When the real games start, how many of these performances will Maresca trust to translate into the heat of competitive football?