Having a friendly when the season has begun is strange but it is all for a good cause. Manchester City will play Barcelona this evening in a friendly that is for charity.
No, it is not for Frenkie de Jong’s deferred wages or the club’s transfer fund but for former goalkeeper, Juan Carlos Unzue, who is battling and raising funds for ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) research.
The former Barcelona goalkeeper was diagnosed with the condition two years ago, and club legends Xavi and Pep Guardiola have come together to face off to help the Luzon Foundation continue their research into the disease that weakens muscles and impacts physical function.
More Than A Game.
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) August 24, 2022
All united against ALS. 💚 #TeamELA
🤝 @ManCity pic.twitter.com/KIckxhynRr
Pep and his team have made a good start to the Premier League season with two dominant wins against West Ham and Bournemouth but an indifferent game against Newcastle saw a share of the spoils.
Sitting in a more comfortable position than Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester United so early in the league is a bonus and this opportunity allows the squad to be rotated to allow the fringe players to get some minutes under their belt when required.
The match against ALS 💙#ManCity | #TeamALS pic.twitter.com/SYeyJZ6rwM
— Manchester City (@ManCity) August 24, 2022
Now, we know that the squad can be considered thin when all are fit and available but with a few injuries, a few youth players will be asked to step up to the mark and perform. We take a look at the squad and make our predicted XI ahead of the fixture.
The game will kick off at 20:30 BST while those living in the USA can tune in at 15:30 ET/12:30 PT. The game will be live streamed on the CITY+ platform and shown on Canal TV.