Bayern kicked off their Audi Summer Tour to the USA in some style with a 6-2 thrashing of DC United on Wednesday evening. And it took Mane just five minutes to net his first goal for the club since his switch from Liverpool, hammering home a penalty to open the scoring. Marcel Sabitzer and Serge Gnabry also got on the scoresheet in the first half as Julian Nagelsmann trialed a new formation with a fluid front three, following the departure of striker Robert Lewandowski.
Among the raft of changes made for the second half, the club’s latest arrival, Matthijs de Ligt, was also handed a debut, only he netted inside 100 seconds with a well-struck volley from a corner. The Dutch defender got just half an hour after all his traveling but will be hoping for more in this second and final friendly.
Mane may also only be given a brief run-out if he returns from his hop across the Atlantic for the African Player of the Year award in Morocco on Thursday. After this game, Bayern returns home to begin preparing for the season-opening Supercup against RB Leipzig the following Saturday.
Haaland didn’t feature in Man City’s opening tour game as they beat Club America 2-1 in Houston thanks to a brace from ex-Wolfsburg and Werder Bremen man Kevin de Bruyne. The Norwegian striker, who left Borussia Dortmund this summer, would probably have hoped to make his debut in blue against another club, having lost all seven of his competitive appearances to Bayern thus far in his career.
The champions of England are without several key players on this tour, including Germany international Ilkay Gündogan, but do boast another summer arrival from the Bundesliga in goalkeeper Stefan Ortega from Arminia Bielefeld. Ex-Bayern boss Pep Guardiola’s only previous encounters with his former club came in the 2008/09 UEFA Champions League quarter-finals with Barcelona.
It all makes for a special occasion as the 81,000-capacity Lambeau Field, the home of the Green Bay Packers, hosts a soccer match for the first time.
Probable teams
Bayern: Neuer (c) – Pavard, Upamecano, Hernandez – Mazraoui, Kimmich, Sabitzer, Davies – Müller, Gnabry, Sane
Doubtful: –
Out: Goretzka (knee)
Coach: Julian Nagelsmann
Man City: Ederson – Walter, Dias, Ake, Cancelo – Phillips, Rodri, De Bruyne (c) – Mahrez, Haaland, Silva
Doubtful: –
Out: Foden (not included), Gündogan (not included), Laporte (match fitness), Stones (not included)
Coach: Pep Guardiola
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