Highlights: Bayern Munich - Manchester City | Friendly Match 2023

Well, this is more like it, isn't it? After waiting 43 days for a city match when they took on Yokohama on Sunday, the Blues are back in action just three days afterwards. And having beaten the Japanese champions in what was an entertaining duel at the weekend, it is now the time for the best team in Germany and familiar foes they are too in Bayern Munich. We've met regularly in pre-season and of course in the Champions League as well and these games have always been thoroughly watchable. So we are again expecting good things today here in the wonderful Japan National Stadium in Tokyo. Blues coming forward and Lewis is in a good spot of space in the penalty area. On it goes to Alvarez, the set-up is good and just as he did in the game on Sunday, he teed up John Stones for a shot. On Sunday, Stones nestled it in the corner, today he drank it wide. It's a great diagonal ball, that's been on already from Ederson, just easily to Bernardo Silva, clever run in behind. And then we saw that similar pattern in the last game. ...the possession of Mkhitaryan, but he lost it now on the counter-attack from Bayern Munich. And once Musiala gets on to the ball, there's something dynamic happening and Zane's through and Ederson can't quite keep him out. Zane then lays it back to Musiala, Musiala hits a shot. I think Ake's got a foot to that and has helped it over the bar for another corner. Again, well defended Ake. Musiala carried the ball brilliantly in that time of the pass, but I've never ever questioned Ake's pace, but he's quicker than I actually thought at times. He never gets run on, nobody ever runs away from him. Munich have had all the corners, their third goes to Leiber on the edge of the area and Lewis won it, but illegally says the referee, so it's a free kick and a shooting position for Bayern Munich. Roughly 28 metres from goal. Unlucky, just looking at the replay. So it is going to be a Leroy Zane whack with the left boot. And he hits it against the top of the bar. There was a little bit of wobble on it, Ederson's positioning I think was just about right and he knew it was going to go over, I don't think he thought it was going to dip and hit the top of the bar though. Lay-off to the right-hand side, brings in Walker who crosses the halfway line, plays a lovely ball into Lewis, Lewis couldn't quite help it on, but it comes back into his possession and Alvarez, great save and City will score on the rebound. And McAtee, it won't count as an official Manchester City goal, but as a first-team member he has his first in a City shirt and the Blues lead 1-0. Midfielders pointing their fingers saying who's responsible for him, pull back, that's a great save, and then the follow-up. But again, it's Leymah who's just switched off, it's just lazy, he doesn't want to go on track and make that run, points his finger out, maybe make that run if there was a bit more on the game. Brilliant from Lewis, that's a great save, and then McAtee in the right place. Inches away to the middle third, plays the ball up towards Alvarez, Alvarez will get to it because of a misjudgement, and on it goes to Lewis, Lewis in the penalty area, tried a little stabbing shot, but this time it was smothered. And Lukaku clears, Stones wins it back, Kovacic helps it on, but it won't reach Grealish, and away comes Mazraoui, and he plays a lovely ball out wide to Leroy Zane, Zane now towards the final third, getting towards a shooting position, on it goes now to Musiala, Musiala calmed away by Ederson. The decision here, once he drifts inside, and then it's just about the timing of the pass, not too early, just waits, checks. If he hits one of them in the bottom corners there, it's going to be really hard for him to stop it. Yes, he'd given the ball away again, and now here's Gnabry attacking the final third, he's got Stones in front of him, Gnabry, on it goes, shot on, Ederson makes the save to deny Coman. Laporte, Laporte into the gap for Bernardo Silva, and on it goes wide to Oscar Bob, Oscar Bob trying to get beyond the full-back nearest to him, into the gap it goes to Bernardo Silva, square towards Haaland, and Rodri, and off the line, and somehow Bayern Munich get it away, and it stays at 1-0, but the Blues, you feel, are going to be too strong for this Bayern Munich line-up in the second half. Now, ball down the left-hand side, City stretched here, and City, how grateful to Ederson, and then on the rebound it's turned in by Matisse Tell. Well, they've barely had an attack by Munich in the second half, but all of a sudden, a ball into the box, a parry from Ederson, and Matisse Tell, the 18-year-old under-19 French international, makes it 1-1. Much better than the City's in the six-yard box. Thomas Tuchel was quietly satisfied with their equaliser, but he's now watching a City free-kick in a crossing position, midway inside the Bayern half, scooped in by Foden, Haaland hits it, and it's blocked by Goretzka. Well, Haaland made a burst forward, Foden picked him out, first touch to trap it, second touch to hit it, Goretzka deflects it out for the corner. Yeah, clever little free-kick, just watch his movement there, just runs, keeps himself onside. If he doesn't get the block, then it's, he keeps one of the tough ones, just wounds it over there, just dips inside. Corner to City. Laporte's header, saved by Ulreich. Outswinging corner, no-one really challenged Laporte, but it was just a little bit behind him. Yeah, difficult, their deflection's not bad. Laporte into the gap for Sergio Gomez, Gomez out wide to Foden, Foden steps in, comes infield. Off it goes to Rodri, Rodri for Joao Cancelo, Joao Cancelo to Bob, Bob in the right-wing position, on it goes to Joao Cancelo, back it goes to Bob again. Bob to Joao Cancelo, City towards the edge of the penalty area, Joao Cancelo keeps on coming, drives the shot, wins the corner. Short corner by the Blues, reaches Peroni, on it goes to Foden, good save by Ulreich, turned in by Laporte. 2-1 City. Really nicely worked corner, really well played by Massimo Peroni, slipped the ball into the gap, Foden one-on-one, save was decent from Ulreich, but on the rebound, Aymeric Laporte, City 2-1 Bayern. Brilliant, I love this. So inventive. Whether it developed that way, or whether it's worked on, whichever way, it's great. They've just switched off again, the young lad's switched off, he's just run on the inside, Foden, too easy to find him, and that's a fair reflection of the second half. And there is the final whistle, and City have done what they did on Sunday, and that is, found a way to win. Sunday it was against the Japanese champions Yokohama, today against the German champions Bayern Munich. All smiles between Pep Guardiola and Thomas Tuchel, but it is Aymeric Laporte who is the match winner, surprise match winner in some ways. City have won by two goals to one.