Summary
A fair result, and representative of the balance of play.
Van’t Schip will rue the two great missed chances - Mauk with a gilt-edged opportunity to provoke a response from the Premier League stars in the first half, before Novillo’s fine chipped attempt just failed to beat Caballero.
From Manchester’s perspective they’d like to get a bit more incisive in the final third; not too much creativity on show, as some of the youngsters failed to press their fringe claims.
Samir Nasri taking things into his own hands near the end, a quality strike giving the Melbourne ‘keeper absolutely no chance.
No announcement as to the crowd figure here tonight, but I’m betting it’s a record for the Gold Coast. It hasn’t been an absolute belter, but fans will at least take something from this. Some lovely touches from Toure, a trademark freekick, and some excellent wingplay from Navas were the features.
Still, a nice look at some Manchester players who may not threaten the first XI in the opening weeks of the Premier League. Garcia and Barker were handy, look for them to come through at some stage.
That’s all from the catacombs of the Guardian. A nice curtain raiser to the International Champions Cup fixtures later on in Melbourne - look for a shift up in tempo as Real Madrid and AS Roma join Manchester City on display at the MCG. Stock up on BBQ shapes and cold ones now.
Full time: Melbourne City 0 - 1 Manchester City
So that’s all - Nasri’s sumptuous volley the difference.
Some really good entertainment in the first half especially, but in truth a lot of the fire went out of this one in the second half.
Updated
91 min: Just the three minutes of added time - but Melbourne in fairness aren’t really breaking forward to chase this one.
It’s been an organised performance from the hosts, but outside Novillo they didn’t seem to really show too much flair. The industry of Aaron Mooy in the engine room perhaps was badly missed.
88 min: That’s enough for the big guns - Toure and Nasri make way - George Evans and Seko Fofana take their places.
Van’t Schip now changing keepers - and former Western Sydney Wanderers junior Jake Adelson comes on for a taste of world class opposition. Pretty much an entirely new line up for the hosts, and visitors.
Goal! Melbourne City 0 - 1 Manchester City (Nasri)
85 min: Melbourne content for one up front to act as the first line of defence.
It comes to Nasri just outside the box though - and excellent finish!
Brilliant chest control, and an even better volleyed finish. Nasri has looked the most likely, and finally something for the fans to treasure.
Great strike, a deserving match winner, irrespective of this game’s friendly status.
83 min: Kompany with a commanding tackle at the back. The Manchester captain for one is still looking to stamp his mark on proceedings.
City string ten or so passes together, but the tempo has completely sapped out of this one.
That said, from seemingly nothing Nasri almost conjures the spectacular. Great venom in that drive, which Velaphi tips round the post.
80 min: First look at Zullo opening the hips on the left flank for Melbourne. He and Retre combine well, but fail to trouble the men in sky blue.
Manchester back in possession - Nasri and Unal on different wavelengths on the edge of the box though, and a half-opening isn’t seized.
78 min: Melbourne City starting to consistently get 9/10 bodies behind the ball. An incisive ball finds Navas, whose deep cross wins a corner.
A free header for Zuculini, but it’s come at such pace the Argentine was always long-odds to cushion that one home.
75 min: Unal comes on for Barker - big talk surrounding this Turkish youngster who was apparently Pellegrini’s first signing of this season.
Yaya has dropped a bit deeper now - perhaps Zuculini is expected to make a bit more of the forward running.
71 min: A nice moment for Melbourne fans - returning Socceroo Michael Zullo makes his formal debut for the club, after an ill-fated stint with Utrecht.
The former Adelaide man replaces Clisby. With the changes coming thick and fast there’s been a loss of rhythm to this fixture.
I wonder what Pellegrini would make of it all. Non-plussed is my guess for the vastly experienced Chilean, but in reality his boys haven’t quite shown their best here.
Still a good chunk of time left though, but the visitors need to chunk through the gears.
68 min: Great pace from Stefan Zinni to create a chance - Harry Novillo is one-on-one with Caballero and chips the Argentine!
But, it drifts just wide! Agonising for the French winger. That seemed to happen in slow motion, an open-play panenka attempt - if we’ll allow that as a concept - just chips over Caballero, but doesn’t find the net.
Another great chance from Melbourne - despite Manchester’s dominance, you could say they’ve created the two best chances from open play tonight.
Updated
65 min: A host of changes from both sides - Pozo for Garcia, Zucolini for Fernandinho, with Mauk also withdrawn (amongst others, apologies).
Yaya is still holding court in the middle of the pitch though - but Manchester needing perhaps another experienced head to liven this encounter up.
It’s been a little bit one-dimensional so far, with Navas doing well wide, but not too much intricate stuff around the edge of the box. David Silva is the type of name that springs to mind, as someone who could energise the hosts.
62 min: Gorgeous flick pass from the young Espindola - he almost regathers on the edge of the box; what a fine introduction that could have been for the midfielder.
Another full-stretch save from Velaphi, he scrambles well to tip over a looping, deflected attempted-cross from Navas.
60 min: Navas fires a shot, but it’s side netting. Not terrible from the Spaniard, but the visitors are very much shooting from only the ‘half-chance’ zone. Credit to the Melbourne defence - they’ve looked disciplined and steady, outside one or two nervy 1v1 moments.
59 min: Barker with a bending shot - it’s just a metre or so wide (for those metric fans out there). The youth development squad player found the net behind closed doors against Adelaide United a few nights back, but looks keen to impress an actual live crowd tonight.
Updated
56 min: Yaya with a snap-shot, but the Ivorian was falling away, that shot was always driving over the bar. It’s not quite ‘frustration’ territory, but No. 42 is starting to look a little bit peeved out there. Not quite ‘I didn’t get a Bugati’ levels, but certainly ‘A cake would have been nice’ territory.
53 min: As we saw in the first half, Manchester starting to just set up camp here a little in the Melbourne final third. It’s not Barcelona v Almeria just yet, but it is a little bit dominant from the visitors.
That said, they haven’t cut their baby brother club to ribbons, so Van’t Schip will be happy with how his defence has fared so far.
Koren makes for the bench. He hasn’t in fairness answered any lingering questions in that 54 minute cameo. A fine ball to find Mauk aside, it was a quiet showing from the Slovenian. On comes a youth league player, Espindola.
50 min: Brendan Barker looks for a penalty but no way says referee Strebre Delovski. A touch theatric from the young striker.
Manchester with the ball once again as Toure finds Clichy with a lovely ball. Melbourne scramble his cross clear, the makeshift fullback Retre doing just enough.
47 min: If you’re just waking up in England and tuning in, it’s been a nice look at some of Manchester’s ‘Generation Next’. Garcia in midfield has certainly looked handy; although the arrival of Fabian Delph will push him one spot even further down the pecking order in a competitive City midfield.
Navas has looked handy, and lively - but always has divided City supporters. Isn’t that a sport in itself.
Navas, numerous times in great positions 1v1 on the right ! NO END PRODUCT Won't take on isolated FB + crosses not good enough #cityvcity
— Pete (@CyprusPete) July 18, 2015
Or:
Really nice first half from Navas. Good balls into the area, had a descent chance. #MCFC #cityvcity
— Mitchell Kahalley (@MKahalley) July 18, 2015
Ahh, football. The game of opinions.
Pffft! Second half: Melbourne City 0 - 0 Manchester City
45min: Back underway - one change a piece at half-time. Horsfield on for Maffeo, captain Kisnorbo replaces Aaron Hughes. A decent 45 min shift for the EPL/PL veteran.
What did you make of that? Join the conversation via richard.parkin.casual@theguardian.com or @rrjparkin on twitter.
Chuck your tinned soup in the microwave; we’ll be back shortly with the second half.
Half-time: Melbourne City 0 - 0 Manchester City
And that’s the half-time whistle. No real super chances for Manchester - Yaya’s crossbar-rattling free perhaps the pick, but Stefan Mauk will wake in fright when he watches back that six-yard miss. Had the chance to put his name in lights, but not to be.
Hasn’t really hit top gear, this game. Pellegrini will probably want to see a bit more from his chargers after the break. Let’s see what changes the Chilean makes.
For Melbourne - business as usual one imagines. They weathered a tricky ten-fifteen minute patch in the middle and have looked good value for their share of the points.
43 min: And Novillo does well again - a fine curling effort draws a fingertip save from Caballero. The keeper’s climbed excellently to touch that over - what a fine leap!
Melbourne’s first corner comes to nought, and Novillo then shows the flipside of his talent - the aimlessly overconfident drive from about 40. I’ve got some City fans who don’t rate this kid, but I’m always one to support someone who backs themselves.
Novillo and Kompany having words here. Papa Bear is worried the Frenchman caught young Maffeo with a flailing arm; nothing too malicious there. Move on.
42 min: Melbourne finding some joy in transition. This time it’s Novillo busting forward, the last good attack was Retre’s cheeky nutmeg on Yaya. Gosh, I hope he gives him lip for the next fifty on that. There’s not enough of that in football any more. Especially against a team that once was home to Paul Dickov. Ahh, yore.
Updated
40 min: Some lovely work from Navas - he’s been one of Manchester’s more lively this half. Some good feet to shake his marker but he drags the shot wide, across the face of the goal. Still no fierce comments from Tando on keeper-mike.
38 min: Not a lot seen so far from Robbie Koren. Melbourne will need to get their marquee signing (yes, we have that system over here in the A-League) on the ball much more if they’re to pose more than a passing challenge to Kompany and friends at the back.
35 min: Not exactly a lull, but after that string of Manchester chances, and then that Mauk-mauling, a few minutes of gentle possession. Fine for me - I’ve been pouring through Youtube videos trying to find that Kanu miss. You know the one - Portsmouth v ... from the year ...? Ahh, them memories aren’t what them used to be.
Updated
31 min: Toure and Nasri have unsurprisingly been everywhere so far. As some of the more experience first team players they’ll be shouldering the burden of carrying Maffeo, Garcia, et co.
Not that the youngsters aren’t performing, they’re holding their own.
And here we go, Retre nutmegs Toure and at the end of a promising sequence Stefan Mauk has just sky-ed an absolute sitter!
Oh no! A great late run, but he’s completely Nwanko Kanu-ed that - over the bar from inside six yards!
This is now stretching a bit - a nice moment for the hosts and a wry, rueful smile from Mauk. He can accuse a phantom bobble here, but that is what’s known as: A Miss.
29 min: Nasri now finds a way through - he’s one-on-one but from an acute angle; he screws his shot, to the relief of Velaphi, and shoots across the face, when perhaps a near-post drive could have been the option.
If they can weather this little patch Melbourne will be very happy - they are very much approaching ‘under the Kosh’ territory.
Updated
27 min: Navas and Clisby continue their battle. The former Perth man is doing a job, but he concedes the corner.
It’s very deep from Navas, but headed back into the mix. A driven drive from Toure appeared goal-bound but an instinctive intervention from the ankle of Paartalu prevents it from rippling the net.
Here’s Barker down the right flank as a pattern of gentle siege begins to emerge.
24 min: No shocking obscenities on the miked-keeper experiment yet. A touch disappointed about that if I’m to be honest. How do you untrain a lifetime habit when the whole world is listening? Hopefully, as the game goes on, our Tando will forget this and let fly. For those of you tracking this from around the world, please send your entries to ‘What I’d Love to Hear Tando Say On Live Television’ care of the Guardian Sydney office. Remember, however, we are a family-friendly organisation, so no smut. I’ve a delicate constitution.
Updated
21 min: A fine passing movement, Toure finds Barker and the boy-wonder curls a decent effort that flashes past Velaphi’s far post. Not a million miles off, that.
Meanwhile Dekker has drawn another foul in the centre of the pitch - this time from Fernandinho. Between the Brazilian and Yaya, it really is men against boys in midfield for the National Youth League star. Won’t he treasure this moment though.
19 min: Free kick just outside the box for Manchester, as Nasri is brought to ground. A clumsy challenge, with no real need for that.
A cracking strike by Yaya Toure - and he’s clattered the crossbar!
How many times have you seen him deliver those? A great moment for young City fans to see how it’s done.
17 min: it’s not exactly under the pump stuff, but certainly it’s the Melbourne defence, as you’d expect, that’s doing the lion’s share of the shuffling early on.
Clisby v Navas is shaping up as a fine battle down the left/right flank respectively.
15 min: Right on cue a close up of Sterling on the big screen draws some boos! Might still be a few Liverpool fans lingering round up in Queensland following their game against Brisbane less than 24 hours ago.
On the pitch, Navas again finds space out wide right, Melbourne scramble to get a disciplined 6-7 men behind the ball, and the moment is lost.
13 min: A lot of talk about Raheem Sterling (who won’t feature tonight) - his was a 100 million+ signing (in Aust $) for Manchester City - for comparison the A-League record transfer is what, 2-3 mill? Brosque to Al Ain springs to mind, but feel free to correct me.
11 min: A lot of traffic coming down Melbourne’s left - Harry Novillo is one that will certainly look to impress tonight, the former Ligue 1 man, and it does seem the hosts want to test the young Manchester right back Maffeo.
Not all one-way traffic - some good fight from the hosts, as they enjoy their own patch of possession.
8 min: A free kick here for Melbourne - Kompany is penalised for a foul on the youngster Dekker. He won’t wash his leg for months after that one.
Oh no - horror moment from ‘keeper Willy Caballero - a complete mess at the back and almost an embarrassing early goal! Will have to see exactly what happened there in the replay, may have been the ol’ kick-into-back-of-a-defender-almost-own-goal party trick. Classic.
6 min: First look at Sami Nasri - his bustling run helps earn the first corner of the game.
Well-flighted corner, but Melbourne’s new centre-half signing Aaron Hughes comfortably intercepts.
Shout out to all the Brighton and Hove Albion fans reading this - that’s the same Aaron Hughes (previously of Fulham fame).
Updated
4 min: Kompany sweeping the ball around the back - as Manchester dominate the early possession. A great mix of youth and experience here; for every Kompany there’s a Humphreys, and it’s great to see Pellegrini blood some of his reserves and youth team kids.
Updated
2 min: Melbourne, we presume, will play the 4-3-3 that has been a feature of almost their entire existence in the A-League, Manchester perhaps in a 4-2-3-1 with young Brendan Barker leading the line. Will update if anything changes on that front.
Updated
Pffft! Kick off: Melbourne City 0 - 0 Manchester City
1 min: City with the kickoff, they’re playing in their familiar sky blue; Melbourne in their white strip.
A raking crossfield ball finds Navas, he shows quick feet and the youngster Garcia gets a shaky shot away. Nice intent early on.
So kick off is not too far away - I’ve just been informed this will be the first time that any of City Football Group’s teams have squared off against each other, so that’s exciting.
What chances a shock defeat here sees Toure et co sent on loan to the colonies while David Williams et al get a run in the Premier League?
Almost none, sure. But it does boggle the ol’ mind the permutations of modern football ownership structures.
The players are walking out onto the pitch, as we speak - a fair smattering of sky blue in the crowd. It’s great to see the Gold Coast community - one robbed of A-League football in recent years - come out in force to support this match. Let’s hope the football also delivers.
As always, feel free to join the conversation - shoot me an email, fire off a tweet - witticisms, wistful reflections and generally ramblings are greatly welcome.
EPL, or just PL fans to you, will recognise the name Robbie Koren - he’ll be critical to the local side’s hopes. The former Hull and West Brom man has had a mixed start Down Under - not due to performance, but perhaps Van’t Schip has failed to get the best from the Slovenian, as he adjusts to the Melbourne system.
Gone is former Socceroo Josh Kennedy, he hung up his boots during the off-season, which means Koren may get to debutise in a ‘false 9’ role. His partner in attacking crime Aaron Mooy is unfortunately injured so will miss this fixture; as will new signing the returning Ivan Franjic. He and fellow Socceroo Michael Zullo should solve Melbourne’s well documented struggles in the fullback positions, but we won’t seem them tonight.
In Fox Sports’ descent into the downright ‘zany’ we’ll also going to see some new innovations tonight - goalkeeper Tando Velaphi will be miked on the field - what could possibly go wrong with that? For those of you inclined to drinking games, perhaps pick the minute in which we hear the first raw obscenity of the match. For mine, I’m hoping Tando dusts off the old PG-rated playground taunts - berate one of his defenders as a ‘bum-face’ or ‘silly-head’ for not marking tight from corners etc.
Updated
Okay okay.
Tea, check. Fruit cake, check. Teamsheets, yes please.
Here’s how the hosts, well, interstate hosts will line up:
LINE UP | Our squad to take on @MCFC in under an hour! #cityvcity pic.twitter.com/upYFqI6sQs
— Melbourne City FC (@MelbourneCity) July 18, 2015
And the visitors will start with:
CITY XI: Caballero, Maffeo, Kompany (C), Humphreys, Clichy, Fernando, Toure, Barker, Navas, Nasri, Garcia #cityvcity #cityontour
— Manchester City FC (@MCFC) July 18, 2015
With the following bench to choose from:
CITY SUBS: Wright, Horsfield, Plummer, Zuculini, Ntcham, Celina, Fofana, Evans, Glendon, Pozo, Unal #cityvcity
— Manchester City FC (@MCFC) July 18, 2015
I’ll not lie, there are plenty of names there Australian audiences perhaps won’t know too much about, so feel free to write in and let us know about the Fofana’s, Pozo’s and Unal’s of Manchester’s generation next.
For the City end, there are a few triallists on show, as well as some up-and-comers from their National Youth League team. Dekker being one that people in the know have huge raps [sic?] on.
Preamble
It was a momentous intervention into the Australian domestic A-League scene. After a few wobbly seasons with the collapse (financial or otherwise) of several ‘franchises’ the announcement that the City Football Group was interested in an Australian plaything capped a couple of fine seasons, in which marquees such as Shinji Ono, Alessandro Del Piero and Emile Heskey introduced bums to seats, and the standard of football on the pitch improved thanks in large part to the coaching returns of Ange Postecoglou, Graham Arnold and the emergence of Tony Popovic.
Melbourne City (née Heart) was born and fans quivered in collective anticipation of what the technical expertise, and more importantly deep pockets, of Sheikh Mansour and friends would bring to Australia’s still infant league.
From there however, it’s not all been smooth sailing. David Villa came amid triumph and then left amid relative acrimony, poached by a franchise somewhere higher up the pecking order.
For Australian fans of the Melbourne chapter of the global City project, hope that young Manchester stars - the Karim Rekik’s and John Guidetti’s of the world - would trade continents for first team experience has thus far failed to materialise, and a lop-sided Melbourne playing squad went into the subsequent season without a recognised fullback, and a coach in John Van’t Schip who has brought only mild success across two stretches with the club.
The Dutchman will be on trial today as much as some of the Melbourne City squad, but with the visit of Manchester footballing royals like Yaya Toure, David Silva and Sami Nasri, Australian fans will finally see some of the benefits of this association.
It’s being played on the Gold Coast for contractual reasons, but it’s still a wonderful opportunity for domestic fans to see their international idols.
The hosts have plenty to prove therefore, and some of the visitors will no doubt relish in the opportunity to confirm their much-admired status in front of fans who have only ever seen them play in the wee hours, through bleary eyes.
Updated
Roma and Real Madrid can wait for the time being because up first it’s Manchester City’s adopted offspring club Melbourne City at the neutral venue of the CBus Super Stadium in Queensland. Richard will be here shortly to act as you ears and eyes for the evening on the Gold Coast, so while you’re waiting for him to arrive, why not have a read of how Raheem Sterling is feeling after completing his move from Liverpool? Relieved apparently. And most likely pretty flush.
