Manchester City and Atletico Madrid face off in the second leg of the Coupang Play Series held at the Seoul World Cup Stadium at 8:40 pm on the 30th. At the end of the first half, both teams scored 0-0.
This summer, it is the first European team to face each other in Korea. After arriving at Incheon International Airport on the 25th, Atletico proceeded with the schedule as planned. Domestic fans also enthusiastically cheered the arrival of Atletico, Spain's 'giant ship', 토토 which has lifted countless trophies such as Spanish La Liga and Copa del Rey.
Man City, the opponent of Atletico's second leg, arrived at Incheon International Airport around 6:30 pm on the 27th. Countless fans gathered at Incheon Airport to greet the Manchester City team, who became European champions in the 2022-23 season. After taking a break, they trained at Reul Park in Mok-dong, Seoul on the 28th, adapting to the hot weather in Korea and preparing for the second match against Atletico.
The start of the game was delayed by 30 minutes. It was because of the sudden heavy rain. There were also voices concerned about cancellation in the stadium. But after that, the game went off without a hitch.
On this day, Manchester City operated a 3-2-4-1 formation. Holland was at the forefront, followed by Grealish, Gundogan, Foden, and Alvarez. Rodri and Stones paired up in midfield, and Laporte, Dias, and Walker teamed up in the back three. The goal was guarded by Ederson.
Against this, Atletico took out a 3-5-2 formation. Griezmann and Morata played as two tops, while Reno, Koke, Lemar, De Paul, and Azpilicueta played as midfielders. The three backs were started by Hermoso, Bichel, and Sowinjwi. The goalkeeper's gloves were worn by Oblak.
Even though it was a friendly game, the players were serious about this match. He showed a high level of performance reminiscent of the final of the European Football Association (UEFA) Champions League (UCL) and ran desperately as if he were playing the regular season. Man City players increased possession and pressured Atletico, and Atletico focused on defense and launched a quick counterattack.
There was also a battle of nerves. Grealish, who was in charge of Man City's left attack, clashed with Azpilicueta, who was in charge of Atletico's right defense, several times. Whenever Grealish made a breakthrough, Aspilicueta stopped it by catching or tackling with his hands. Grealish, who had struggled several times, protested strongly to the referee and gestured to warn Azpilicueta.