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Inter beat Manchester City on penalties after 1-1 draw in pre-season friendly
Sameer Bhatia | August 2, 2026 9:53 AM CST

Inter defeated Gianluigi Donnarumma’s Manchester City in a penalty shoot-out after a 1-1 draw in their pre-season friendly, with Benjamin Pavard cancelling out Divin Mubama’s opening goal.

The sides faced off in Hong Kong in a repeat of the 2023 Champions League Final, as well as a meeting from the tournament group stage last season. Enzo Maresca has replaced Pep Guardiola as Manchester City’s new head coach, with Italy international Gigio Donnarumma starting in goal.

Francesco Pio Esposito should have put Inter ahead in the third minute when he stretched to meet a low cross on the counter-attack, only to poke his effort just wide of Donnarumma’s goal.

Goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma of Manchester City was in action during the Manchester City v Inter Milan pre-season friendly at Kai Tak Stadium on August 1, 2026 in Hong Kong, China.

Josep Martinez got down well to smother a Tijjani Reijnders attempt at the near post, but Manchester City took the lead when Divin Mubama was in the right place to tap home after Antoine Semenyo’s pass across from the left.

Semenyo caused major problems down the flank against Andy Diouf and also forced a difficult save from Martinez, but Inter drew level when Donnarumma did well to stop Federico Dimarco, only for Benjamin Pavard to score from the rebound.

Aleksandar Stankovic burst forward on the counter to test Donnarumma with an angled strike, and immediately after the restart the City goalkeeper again had to stay alert to deny the Serbian midfielder.

Gianluigi Donnarumma again had to reach for the ball after an Inter effort during the Manchester City v Inter Milan pre-season friendly at Kai Tak Stadium on August 1, 2026 in Hong Kong, China.

Youngster Mattia Mosconi volleyed over from a Davide Frattesi cross, while Manchester City struck the crossbar through Rayan Ait-Nouri following a corner.

Inter dropped deeper and deeper as the game went on, with Manchester City able to call on far greater depth from the bench, and the woodwork was hit once more by Ryan McAidoo’s angled effort.

Cristian Chivu’s team still looked dangerous on the break, with a Leonardo Bovio half-volley being blocked down.

Manchester City head coach Enzo Maresca reacted on the touchline during the Manchester City v Inter Milan pre-season friendly at Kai Tak Stadium on August 1, 2026 in Hong Kong, China.

The match went to a penalty shoot-out in Hong Kong, beginning with Ait-Nouri blasting his kick into the stands, before Abdukodir Khusanov hit the upright.

Donnarumma then made an important save from fellow Italy international Davide Frattesi, while Ivan Provedel also denied Nico Gonzalez, but Claudio Echeverri was the only Manchester City player to score past Provedel.

Mubama 14 (M), Pavard 20 (I)

Penalties: Ait-Nouri (Miss, M), Zielinski (Goal, I), Khusanov (Miss, M), Frattesi (Saved, I), Nico Gonzalez (Saved, M), Mosconi (Goal, I), Echeverri (Goal, M), Lavelli (Goal, I)

Manchester City: Donnarumma; Lewis, Khusanov, Gvardiol (Reis 46), Mfuni (McAidoo 46); Kovacic (Alleyne 46), Reijnders (Nico Gonzalez 46); Semenyo (Sangare 70), Foden (Echeverri 70), Savinho (Heskey 78); Mubama (Ait-Nouri 46)

Inter: J Martinez (Provedel 60); Pavard (Bovio 68), Bisseck (Maye 78), Carlos Augusto; Diouf (Luis Henrique 46), Barella (Frattesi 46), Stankovic (Topalovic 60), Mkhitaryan (Zielinski 46), Dimarco (Bastoni 46); Esposito (Lavelli 68), Iddrissou (Mosconi 46)


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