As the 2024 European Championships and 2024 Copa América come to an end, football pundits, experts, and spectators will shift their focus to league football. One team that will be observed is Manchester City.
After another successful season, in which the Sky Blues retained the English Premier League title for a fourth season in a row, the English side will hope to continue their winning ways for the upcoming 2024/2025 season. Manchester City’s first match in the upcoming season will be the FA Community Shield on Saturday, 10 August, at Wembley Stadium. They will face FA Cup winners and crosstown rivals Manchester United.
Before this game, the Sky Blues will participate in four preseason friendlies in July and August. For two weeks, Manchester City will tour across the United States for their preseason campaign. They will travel across the American East Coast, as well as the Midwest.
They will begin their visit in North Carolina. On Tuesday, 23 July Manchester City will face Celtic at the Memorial Stadium in Chapel Hill. The Sky Blues last faced the Bhoys during the 2016/2017 UEFA Champions League, where they were placed in Group C. Both group-stage matches resulted in a draw.
Following this preseason friendly, Manchester City will then travel north to New York City. On Saturday, July 27 they will face AC Milan. This will be the first meeting between the two clubs in the twenty-first century. They last faced each other during the 1978/1979 UEFA Cup in the Third Round. The first leg ended in a 2-2 draw. Manchester City won the second leg 3-0.
After this game, the Sky Blues will return south. They will venture to the Camping World Stadium in Orland, Florida. On Tuesday, 30 July Manchester City will face Barcelona. Like Celtic, the last time the Sky Blues played against Barça was during the 2016/2017 UEFA Champions League in Group C. Barcelona won the first match 4-0 at Camp Nou. Manchester City then won the return match at the Etihad Stadium 3-1. The two clubs also faced each other in the 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 UEFA Champions League, where both meetings occurred in the competition’s Round of 16. Barcelona won all four games.
Manchester City will then conclude their preseason tour in Columbus, Ohio. They will face Chelsea on Saturday, 3 August at the Ohio Stadium. The two English clubs faced each other in three entertaining fixtures during the 2023/2024 EPL season. Both of their league matches ended in tactical and entertaining draws. Their third encounter during the 2023/2024 season came in the FA Cup Semi-Finals, where Manchester City defeated Chelsea in a narrow 1-0 game.
During the 2024 preseason campaign, the official Manchester City app will also provide comprehensive coverage of their tour. The club is organizing Matchday Live events with the Man City Supporters Groups in these areas. The app will also share training sessions and other interactions between the club and its supporters. This program will remain current throughout City’s preseason tour.
In short, Manchester City will be rather busy during these two weeks in late July and early August. They will face four difficult opponents, but the preparation will be necessary. The time abroad will allow the senior team to ready themselves for the upcoming 2024/2025 EPL season, and the team will hope to put on a good show in front of their American fans. A new season for the Sky Blues awaits.