DRESDEN — Manchester City stepped up the pre-season intensity against Dynamo Dresden on Tuesday fielding all their fit senior players for at least half of the game.
Nigel de Jong, Adam Johnson and Edin Dzeko looked on from the stands, but there was a first outing of July for Kun Aguero, who teamed up with countryman Carlos Tevez in a two-pronged attack.
Tevez shone brightest in the opening quarter, fizzing a 15-yard effort narrowly wide of the target and setting up teenager Marcos Lopes for a snap shot from inside the box that was blocked.
But just like Friday’s defeat against Al Hilal, the Blues couldn’t find the killer pass or pace out wide to undo well drilled opponents. There was lots of possession, but not much in the way of penetration.
Roberto Mancini took Aguero off at halftime — the Argentine who scored the final goal of the title-winning campaign was having his first outing of the summer — but left the rest of his senior players on a pitch that was cut up after an American football match at the weekend.
Yaya Touré was the night’s most eye-catching City player and he produced the pass of the contest in the 66th minute when he sent substitute Vlad Weiss through the middle.
The Blues will at least be hoping to get on the score sheet tomorrow against Turkish side Besiktas.
