Manchester City vs Barcelona – Club Friendlies – Team News and Updates

Manchester City and Barcelona lock horns in a blockbuster friendly, with the start of the 2024-25 season right around the corner.

Football fans all around the globe get excited when two heavyweights of world football face each other, no matter the occasion. And on 31st July fans will surely tune in to watch Manchester City take on Barcelona.

This match has already garnered significant media attention, even though it is a preseason friendly. However, this won’t bother die-hard fans, who would use this as an opportunity to gauge their team’s potential for the long and arduous season ahead.

Manchester City vs Barcelona – Match Preview

There are only a few things certain in life: death, taxes and Manchester City winning trophies under the guidance of Pep Guardiola. Following yet another stellar season in which City clinched their fourth consecutive Premier League title, the Citizens are aiming to reach uncharted territory. No top-flight team in English football history has ever won five titles on the trot.

However, Manchester City have endured a rough start to the preseason. City began their preseason with a 4-3 defeat at the hands of Scottish giants, Celtic. They followed that up with another defeat, this time against six-time European champions, AC Milan.

The Citizens now face Barcelona in their next preseason friendly. Barcelona fans would be glued to their TV sets, as this match will usher in a new era for the Blaugrana. Following a relatively successful two-season stint, Barcelona parted ways with Xavi.

Former Bayern Munich and Germany head coach Hansi Flick is in charge now, and the match against City will be the first time fans witness Hansi Flick’s Barcelona.

Manchester City vs Barcelona – Team News

New Blaugrana boss Hansi Flick recently named a 31-man for their US Tour. Several stars like Robert Lewandoski, Raphinha, Ilkay Gundogan and Vitor Roque have made the squad. However, Barcelona would be without the services of several key players like Pedri, Gavi, and Frenkie De Jong.

Furthermore, Blaugrana will also miss teenage sensation Lamine Yamal, who is on an extended break after Spain’s Euro 2024 triumph. Eric Garcia, Fermin Lopez and Pau Cubarsi will also miss Barcelona’s US Tour, as they are currently representing Spain at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Like Barcelona, Manchester City will also miss multiple key players. The likes of Kyle Walker, Jeremy Doku, Rodri, Bernardo Silva, Ruben Dias, Nathan Ake, Manuel Akanji, John Stones and Kevin De Bruyne are all on break following the conclusion of Euro 2024.

Manchester City will also miss the services of Julian Alvarez, who’s currently representing Argentina at the 2024 Paris Olympics. However, stars like Erling Haaland, Jack Grealish and Mateo Kovacic are available for City’s blockbuster tie versus Barcelona.

Manchester City vs Barcelona – Head-to-Head

Barcelona has historically dominated their head-to-head record against Manchester City in competitive fixtures, securing five wins out of six matches. The city has only managed to claim victory once. In their most recent meeting, a thrilling friendly match at the Camp Nou in August 2022, Manchester City managed to hold Barcelona to a dramatic 3-3 draw.

Manchester City vs Barcelona – Kick-Off Time and Date

The game is scheduled to take place on 31st July 2024 (Wednesday). The match will kick off at 4:30 AM (Indian Standard Time).