Pre-season check: prediction for Manchester City vs Atlético Madrid
The pre-season clash between Manchester City and Atlético Madrid is set for Sunday and will serve as one of the final tune-ups for both teams ahead of the official start of the 2026/27 season. The English side comes into the match fresh off a 3-1 win over the K-League Stars, while Atlético suffered a 2-1 defeat to Manchester United in their previous friendly.
Manchester City: Maresca's first ideas are starting to show
Manchester City kicked off their pre-season with a 1-1 draw against Inter, eventually losing the penalty shootout 1-3 to the Italian side. On August 5, Enzo Maresca’s men claimed their first win under the new head coach, dispatching the K-League Stars 3-1.
The upcoming match against Atlético will be City’s final dress rehearsal before the English Super Cup, where they will face Arsenal on August 16. The Premier League campaign gets underway for Manchester on August 23 with a home fixture against Bournemouth, and one of the club’s key summer signings is Elliot Anderson, who arrived from Nottingham Forest.
Atlético Madrid: Simeone demands a response after defeat
Atlético opened their pre-season with an emphatic 4-1 win over Getafe, but the next outing proved much more challenging. In the Snapdragon Cup, Diego Simeone’s side took the lead against Manchester United but then conceded twice to Bryan Mbeumo and fell 2-1.
After the clash with City, Atlético have one more friendly lined up against Marseille before kicking off their La Liga campaign at home to Málaga on August 19. The summer saw the arrivals of Lee Kang-in, Morten Hjulmand, and Alejandro Grimaldo, while the club has so far managed to keep hold of Julián Álvarez despite interest from Barcelona.
Match facts and head-to-head
- Manchester City won their previous friendly against the K-League Stars 3-1.
- Atlético began their pre-season with a 4-1 win over Getafe, followed by a 2-1 loss to Manchester United.
- Erling Haaland and Julián Álvarez are unavailable due to their late return after the 2026 World Cup.
Cautious football before the official matches: prediction for Manchester City vs Atlético Madrid
Both teams are still far from their ideal line-ups. City will be without Haaland, Rayan Cherki, Marc Guéhi, Elliot Anderson, and Nico O’Reilly, but the inclusion of Omar Marmoush from the start could inject some mobility into their attack. Phil Foden, Antoine Semenyo, and Savinho are also expected to see significant playing time.
Atlético’s squad situation is equally complicated: Álvarez, Nahuel Molina, Giuliano Simeone, Álex Baena, Grimaldo, and Alexander Sørloth are all unavailable. However, Lee Kang-in could make his debut for the Madrid side, while Hjulmand is set to bolster the midfield. Given the experimental line-ups and the stage of preparation, it’s hard to expect a clear advantage for either side, making a balanced and low-scoring contest the most likely scenario.
