Without Rodri, City struggled to defend transitions last season, while their ball progression suffered. They had no direct replacement for the 2024 Ballon d’Or winner, with Ilkay Gundogan, Mateo Kovacic, Bernardo Silva, and January signing Nico Gonzalez deputising for him without much success.

Elsewhere, Aston Villa's pre-season preparations continued with a 3-1 defeat at Marseille. Mason Greenwood and John McGinn exchanged goals before the break, before Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang came off t

The plane from England arrived late but Palermo is ready to welcome Pep Guardiola's Manchester City for the high-profile friendly match that will engage Pippo Inzaghi's players. Even the fans