Liverpool vs. Manchester City:
Predicting City's International
Champions Cup XI
By Phil Keidel on July 29, 2014
Manchester City and Liverpool famously
finished first and second in last season's
Premier League table. Famously, because the
title was quite literally Liverpool's to lose
with a few matches left to play.
That Liverpool contrived to lose it must still
send shudders down the spines of the Pool
faithful.
A quick peek at the 2014-15 Premier League
schedule reveals that City will host Liverpool
at the Etihad on Aug. 25, or less than a
month after the sides' coming Guinness
International Champions Cup friendly at
Yankee Stadium.
So if you were Manchester City boss Manuel
Pellegrini or Liverpool manager Brendan
Rodgers, how much of what you may be
planning for that August encounter will you
be showing in an exhibition?
Precisely.
Neither of these clubs much wants to lose to
the other, even in a friendly. But aside from
the normal "keep them healthy" concerns that
managers always have in these situations,
Pellegrini and Rodgers have strategic issues
to consider here.
As a result, you can reasonably expect
Pellegrini's XI for this Liverpool match on
Wednesday to be consistent with the
selections he has made for City's past two
American friendlies. And you can surely
expect that City will employ a predictable
formation and vanilla tactics.
Besides, everything Pellegrini and his charges
are doing as of late is working just fine.
City ran Sporting Kansas City off their home
pitch on July 23, then hung four goals on AC
Milan in less than half an hour in City's
recent Guinness International Champions Cup
opener. You know what they say about what
to do if it ain't broke.
"I think it was a very good game for our
team," Pellegrini said after the AC Milan
match, according to Sam Werner of the
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette . "It's important to
win and also important to score five goals.
Not only that, I feel like we played with a
good pace and that for me is important."
The only wild card to this analysis is the
location of this match against the locations
of the last two.
Kansas City is a passionate enough Major
League Soccer town, but Pittsburgh is not as
was evidenced by the rows and rows of empty
seats at Heinz Field for City's woodshedding
of AC Milan.
Regardless, neither Kansas City nor
Pittsburgh is New York.
Couple New York's status as an American
city with a significant international
population with Manchester City's imminent
debut of New York City FC , and you have to
think that Manchester City's power center
may decide to have Pellegrini dress and
perhaps even play some of the club's biggest
stars.
It is one thing to have Jesus Navas and Gael
Clichy be the biggest names in the City XI in
the American Midwest and Rust Belt. It is
quite another to deprive a major market like
New York of City's stars when City are hoping
to cultivate that market in MLS in the very
near future.
Pellegrini must be looking forward to the
beginning of the 2014-15 Premier League
season. All he really needs to think about
then is putting the best available XI on the
pitch.
For now, though, Pellegrini has to manage
the next match on the calendar with an eye
toward another match a month from now and
the creation of a team in another league
thereafter.
Manchester City's predicted XI against
Liverpool: Joe Hart; Micah
Richards, Dedryck Boyata, Matija Nastasic,
Gael Clichy;
Fernando, Javi Garcia, Yaya Toure,
Jesus Navas; Stevan Jovetic, Kelechi
Iheanacho.

Liverpool sorry, Iheanacho will shock you tonight.

The match is tomorrow and not today. Mod push this to the front page. This is a mouth watery match

Plssssssssss mod do the needful by pushing this thread on the front page.

Mancity all the way.

Nacho my boy do the needful.

mod front page.

Manchester City XI : Caballero ;
Clichy , Kolarov , Boyata , Nastasić;
Fernando , Navas, Zuculini, Milner;
Jovetic, Džeko .


Liverpool XI: Jones; Kelly, Coates ,
Touré , Enrique ; Gerrard , Henderson,
Allen , Coutinho ; Sturridge , Lambert .

Martin Skrtel and Lazar Marković
the surprising omissions from the Reds'
squad tonight. Pepe Reina also missing.
An interesting front line , however. Looks
like a 4 - 1- 2 -1 -2 diamond formation .


Liverpool Bench : Mignolet , Ward,
Johnson , Sakho , Robinson , Lucas , Can,
Suso , Ibe , Coady, Sterling , Peterson.

Go red and take revenge of the epl title that the citizens snatch away from you.

Come, make una put update na, abi sleep don carry all of una?

43 ' Coutinho darts about in the final
third, trying to find Sturridge but Boyata
cuts it out. The Brazilian certainly looked
lively with the ball at his feet there
though .
41 ' Another troubling City corner. Navas
with the ball-in , but Coates heads clear.
The Reds try a counter -attack but
Sturridge 's switch pass is underhit and the
break ends .
40 ' Good period of passing play from
Liverpool, until Gerrard is dispossessed
well by Kolarov . Wonderful sliding tackle
from the Serbian, who then rushes back
to intercept Allen's loose pass .
38 ' City's cross, delivered by Navas, is
whipped into the six -yard box but is just
about too high for a blue shirt to get on
the end of it . The Premier League
champions are looking dangerous from
set - pieces.
37 ' Lambert finds space by the byline and
fizzes a teasing cross into the box, but
Caballero dives down to it before Allen
can connect .
35 ' Enrique perhaps the most involved
attacking player down the left flank , but
the Reds are certainly lacking what City
are showing here. Missing quality in the
final third. Perhaps a change of formation
is in order .
34 ' Again, Sturridge is denied as Kolarov
and a number of blue shirts restrict him
to trying to do it all on his own, but the
left- back wins possession.
33 ' Liverpool really lacking going
forward so far . Very little in the way of
link -up between Lambert and Sturridge .
Up the other end, Navas ' delightful cross
after breaking with pace allows Džeko to
get in front of Touré but his connection is
poor . Frighteningly fast counter- attack
there .
32 ' Sturridge twists into a shooting
position inside the box, but it is blocked
after Coutinho picked him out. Seconds
later , Gerrard has a shot on goal but
Caballero gathers.
31 ' That man again, the 6 ft 3 " frontman
goes for goal outside the box and his shot
is deflected, but Jones manages to catch it
after almost fumbling possession .
30 ' City certainly looking the more likely
to open the scoring here . Very strong
squad out here from Pellegrini , and it
shows . The Sky Blues are dominating
chances , having already tried eight shots
on goal in comparison to the Reds ' two.
Džeko with the latest , but his effort inside
the area is blocked .
28 ' The Bosnian striker tries another
effort , this time from 30 -yards , but the
shot flies well wide of Jones ' goal .
26 ' Džeko runs at the Liverpool defence,
before falling to his feet rather easily
when Coates seemed to make almost no
contact with him. He stays on the ground
for a minute or two, before rising to his
feet and picking up a through ball and
firing past Jones , but he was in an offside
position . No goal .
24 ' Navas wonderfully spins away from
Coutinho near the centre - circle. Moments
later , the City side are appealing for a
free -kick outside the area after Enrique 's
slip but the referee waves it away.
23 ' Liverpool's front- line struggling to
maintain possession, whilst Navas and
Jovetić are looking dangerous in City 's
final third. Exciting affair so far .
22 ' Zuculini tries an ambitious chip from
outside the area , but Jones catches easy.
City with all the chances so far , but the
Reds ' back -line , Coates in particular , has
been dealing it with it well so far .
21 ' Milner almost scores , had it not been
for a deflection. Navas does well to see
the Englishman 's run from deep and
Džeko dummies the ball, allowing it to
run straight into his path and the ball
trickles to Milner whose effort is deflected
wide by Kelly, but nothing is given.
20 ' City come close, as Milner 's long ball
finds Navas in space . From the left- hand
corner of the box, he tries to drive one
past Jones and inside the far post but the
Aussie stopper gets down to it .
19 ' Great individual work from Sturridge,
as he wins a throw -in from Nastasić deep
into City's half , but the Reds have to
retreat back to defence with no way
through a sea of blue shirts .
18 ' Kolarov feeds Jovetić down the left.
The forward has been central to
everything and tempts his teammates with
a low cross across the six- yard box which
Coates slides in to clear.
16 ' Great link -up play from City , as
Fernando plays a neat one-two with
Džeko before trying to weave his way into
the area but Enrique clears.
15 ' Henderson makes a smart run down
the right, before firing a chipped cross
into Lambert in the centre who runs
away from Clichy . The 32 -year - old heads
the cross towards goal, but it is straight at
Caballero . He should have done better
there .
14 ' Navas drives at Enrique but slips
when he tries to cross into the six- yard
box , and Coates clears . City yet to cause
Jones any real trouble between the sticks .
12 ' Manchester City free -kick from the
right is sent deep , and Boyata connects,
plays it back to Fernando who tries a
searching pass to Jovetić in the area but
they can only win a corner, which Joe
Allen clears from.
11 ' Gerrard ' s long ball finds Enrique
down the left, he drives forward before
cutting inside and trying to find Sturridge
but the pass is behind him . Coutinho runs
in to recover possession and tries a shot
on goal, but it flies past the post . He 's
looked very bright so far , nevertheless.
10 ' The tempo has slowed down now as
both sides try to take a firm grip of the
game .
9 ' Henderson 's cute chipped ball falls to
Enrique on the left flank, but his cross is
blocked by Boyata. He wins a throw -in,
but it is wasted.
8 ' Milner wins a corner after Kelly blocks
a cross, but Jovetić's free header flies well
wide after Navas' wonderful delivery.
Poor marking from the Reds defence .
7 ' City looking slightly dominant so far .
Enjoying much more possession and
looking full of intent going forward.
6 ' Great chance for City, as Jovetić finds
himself with space in the box but Toure
blocks him well . Fantastic link -up with
his forward partner . He fluffs the chance
before trying to buy a penalty, which is
waved away. Džeko tries an effort
moments later , but it 's easily gathered by
Jones .
5 ' Fast- paced tempo here so far , Jovetić
tries to find Džeko on the edge of the
area , but the ball bobbles up and away
from the Bosnian . The pitch is in
particularly poor condition over the right
side .
4 ' Clichy tries an effort from range from
30 -yards , but his shot from a central area
drifts wide of Jones' right post .
3 ' Poor pass from Allen means Enrique
miscontrols the ball and it goes out for a
throw , but City yet to push into the
Liverpool half . The Reds pressing very
high and restricting them from having
comfort on the ball.
2 ' Strong start from Rodgers' side , who
immediately look to burst into the
Citizens ' box . Unfortunately , Rickie
Lambert 's attempted cross is blocked .
2 ' The Yankee Stadium is fairly full now.
A good attendance for a pre- season
friendly . Confirmation that Liverpool's
starting set -up is a diamond formation,
the same one that saw the Reds beat City
3 - 2 last time the two teams met.
1 ' We 're underway in New York . Will the
' City That Never Sleeps ' witness anything
worth staying up for tonight?
00 :08 . The players are out onto the pitch.
The referee is only moments away from
blowing his whistle now .

01 :00 . Liverpool can probably count
themselves lucky not to be behind after
that first - half. They 've been on the back
foot for much of it . Rickie Lambert should
have opened the scoring with a close-
range header, but his effort was tame.
After that , City have created a raft of
chances for themselves, but have yet to
really trouble Brad Jones. They ' ve been
very impressive with their build-up play,
and a goal can' t be too far away. The Reds
certainly looking sharper than in their
previous four pre-season games , if that 's
any consolation. Coates has also been
solid , to the Uruguayan 's credit .
HT : Liverpool 0- 0 Manchester City .
45 ' And that's that for the first -half .
44 ' Gerrard 's last-ditch interception cuts
out a clever cross from Navas at the near
post . City really looking full of zeal.
43 ' Coutinho darts about in the final
third, trying to find Sturridge but Boyata
cuts it out. The Brazilian certainly looked
lively with the ball at his feet there
though .

01 :03 . Joe Allen has been rather
lacklustre. Rodgers may be tempted to
bring Suso or the imposing Emre Can on
in his place at half- time.

47 ' Lots of changes for both teams , how
will that affect the game's proceedings?
Not much , if the first few minutes are
anything to go by. A very similar start to
the first half.
46 ' We 're back under way in this
Guinness International Champions Cup
Group B game. Here are the subs that
have been made at the interval : Hart
comes on for Caballero , whilst Kelechi
Iheanacho and Scott Sinclair come on for
Milner and Džeko. For Liverpool , Glen
Johnson , Jack Robinson and Raheem
Sterling come on for Enrique , Kelly and
Lambert . Mignolet has also replaced Brad
Jones in goal

62 ' Fernando dictacting from deep, but
Gerrard cuts out his pass . The Reds
counter with Sterling 's blistering pace, he
races past Clichy , and he forces Boyata to
flick a cross behind . Again though , the
corner is wasted.
60 ' Pinball inside the box! City still
looking very threatening here . Robinson is
being tortured by Navas down the right.
60 ' Sterling runs directly at the City
defence before finding Sturridge on the
edge of the area with a neat pass , the
forward slips but Henderson is there to
step up and curl a beautiful effort past
Hart into the far corner. Wonderful finish
from 15- yards.
59 ' GOAL! Liverpool 1 -1 .
58 ' Henderson loses possession with a ball
too deep , and City immediately look to
break . Kolarov eases past Johnson after a
neat one -two but Mignolet closes the Serb
down at the near post . City could double
their lead any minute now .
57 ' Kelechi causing problems in
the Liverpool box now . The game 's really
opened up , as City look to take advantage
of some lacklustre defending on the Reds'
part .
55 ' It should be 1 -1 . Coutinho finds
himself with the ball at his feet after it
falls into his path in the box, but Hart is
quick off his line to close it down. The
Reds win a corner and Sturridge tries to
direct a header towards the far post but it
is just over the bar.
53 ' Well that was rather fortunate.
Unsurprisingly , Navas played a major part
as he beat Robinson with pace . The
winger fired a ball into the near post and
it deflects off of the inside of Gerrard 's
legs and into the path of Jovetić, who
coolly pokes home. A real poacher ' s goal.
Can 't stay it wasn' t coming..
53 ' GOAL! Manchester City 1 -0 .
52 ' The Sky Blues spraying the ball about
well down the left, Navas getting onto a
superb ball in behind to win a corner. The
Spaniard delivers it in with an
outswinging corner, but Robinson heads it
away .
51 ' Kelechi tries an effort from range , but
it ' s blocked . City trying to mount some
pressure on the Reds ' defence now .
49 ' Sturridge does well to beat Boyata,
before turning back and flicking the ball
to Robinson on the inside flank. He bursts
into the box and toe pokes an effort at
Hart , who gets down to it well to deny the
left- back .
48 ' Sterling tries to find Coutinho at the
far post with a through ball but Nastasić
sees it out for a corner . The centre - back
also heads clear from the Brazilian 's set-
piece.
47 ' Lots of changes for both teams , how
will that affect the game's proceedings?
Not much , if the first few minutes are
anything to go by. A very similar start to
the first half.

68 ' Navas is at the centre of it again. He
finds Kelechi on the edge of the box who
shoots towards goal but Jovetić gets in the
path of the shot . The ball falls to his feet
and he just works his feet out to prod past
the outcoming Mignolet. As expected, the
Sky Blues take the lead once more .
67 ' GOAL! Manchester City 2 -1 .
66 ' City still dominant , but Rodgers ' men
are certainly edging into the game. As
aforementioned , they look fragile in
defence and City certainly likely to exploit
that in the next 25 minutes . Causing all
kinds of problems from wide areas, with
Navas and Kolarov too much to handle
for the Reds ' full-back .
65 ' Emre Can comes on for Joe Allen to
add some muscle in the midfield.
64 ' How has he not scored ?! Zucilini hits
the bar from 3- yards out. Johnson is
caught out of position and Kolarov 's
overlapping run leads to a scramble in the
box , young Belgian Zucilini tries to hook
it over Mignolet from close range but his
effort rockets off the bar and Kelechi can't
finish the follow -up .
63 ' Sterling has looked full of energy
down the flank, exactly what they needed
after the dull first -half showing. Still
looking very susceptible to errors at the
back however, and it looks like this game
may have a few more goals in it .
62 ' Fernando dictacting from deep, but
Gerrard cuts out his pass . The Reds
counter with Sterling 's blistering pace, he
races past Clichy , and he forces Boyata to
flick a cross behind . Again though , the
corner is wasted.
60 ' Pinball inside the box! City still
looking very threatening here . Robinson is
being tortured by Navas down the right.

I'm sorry to say this, Sturridge is not ready to
lead the line for LFC. He keeps holding the ball
for no reason he is just selfish for me. Pass the
ball and move into a good position to receive it,
simple! That's what suarez does



fu.**ck you selfish sturridge... missing Suarez

83 ' Coutinho' s ball forward to Henderson
is smart, and the latter gets himself into a
decent position but his first -time angled
pass into Sturridge is perhaps too
unselfish . He should have taken his time
and shot .
82 ' Sterling takes it past two City
defenders , but he runs out of steam and
options and loses possession deep into the
opposition half .
80 ' It has to be said, Gerrard was one of
the poorest performers out there tonight.
Sterling has been sharp and Coates was
solid in the first -half , elsewhere there's
not been too much to shout about.
78 ' Liverpool paying for substandard
defence again here . " It 's only pre-season"
but they 'll need to be much better than
this in the 2014 -15 season, as Henderson
is caught on the ball before Can 's touch
deceives him.
76 ' More subs . Lucas comes on for
Gerrard and Sakho makes his return,
replacing Coates.

.....

90' Henderson is almost in for Liverpool as he
makes a darting late run into the box. He
manages to sneak the ball away from Hart but
is forced wide, although it doesn't matter as
the flag goes up for offside.
89' Toure plays the ball through the middle for
Zuculini, but it's a laboured touch from the
midfielder and Liverpool are able to take
control once more as they look to advance
down the left.
87' Toure plays wide to Navas, but the winger is
closely watched by Sakho and he eventually
loses control and concedes a throw deep
inside the Liverpool half.
86' Will we see a penalty shootout? Or is there
another twist in this thoroughly entertaining
game? Liverpool have been far better in the
last 15 minutes or so, but City have plenty of
firepower to cause problems in these last few
minutes.
85' STERLING LEVELS IT!! The goal had been
coming, and Liverpool are back on level terms
as Sturridge picks it up on the left and floats
a pass to Henderson, who volleys it first time
to Sterling, and the England man takes a
touch before curling an emphatic finish into
the corner.
84' HART DENIES TOURE!! The Reds win a corner
and Toure powers in a stunning header, which
Hart saves brilliantly low

Late strike from.raheem sterling fires this match to penalty shootout !!!! interesting

90+2 min GOAL DISALLOWED! Liverpool have
a goal disallowed right at the end of the
match, when Sterling curls another wonderful
strike into the corner. The replays show that
he was onside and the Reds can consider
themselves very unfortunate.
90+1 min Liverpool win a corner after
Sturridge's curling effort is deflected over the
bar, but they are unable to make anything
count from Coutinho's delivery.
90 min We are going to have two minutes of
stoppage time.
88 min If there is going to be a winner then it
looks like Liverpool will score it. They are
pushing plenty of men forward, and look
determined to grab the three points.
85 min For the second time this evening
Liverpool have drawn level! It's another fine
goal, as Sterling latches onto Lucas's pass
inside the box, before curling a finish past
Hart and into the far corner. That's Sterling's
second goal in as many games and it means
that we look set for a penalty shootout if the
score stays the same.
85 min GOAL! Manchester City 2-2 Liverpool
(Raheem Sterling)

Penalty shootout....

Mumu strridge missesa penalty !!! MAN CITY PEN TWO MISS! We are still yet to
see a penalty scored, as Toure sees his poor
kick down the middle saved by Mignolet!
LIVERPOOL PEN ONE MISS! I don't believe it!
Sturridge misses his spot kick, with an
identical effort to Kolarov's moments before!

Up Liverpool ******* sturridge no be striker. All thanks to raheem sterling...... we won !!! Up Liverpool ,citizens should go and die.

2.16am Liverpool have won the penalty
shootout and they are well on course to make
the final of the International Champions Cup
next week. Manchester United possibly lie in
wait for them, and they will be encouraged by
their showing this evening.
LIVERPOOL PEN FOUR GOAL! Lucas calmly
slots home his penalty and the Reds have
won the shootout 3-1!
MAN CITY PEN FOUR GOAL! City finally score,
as the 17-year-old Iheanacho confidently
slots home!
LIVERPOOL PEN THREE GOAL! Henderson
makes no mistake with his penalty and
Liverpool are now two goals ahead in the
shootout!

YNWA.

I fear for this Sturridge guy though, he is selfish and unstable.