With only 10 days left until the league starts, the team coached by 'Cholo' Simeone lost their penultimate friendly. The previous week, Manchester United had already beaten the rojiblancos 2-1. Their final preparatory match before the league debut against Málaga CF will be on August 14th against Olympique de Marseille.
Simeone is still awaiting the return of most of the players who participated in the World Cup, especially the Spanish and Argentinian players who reached the final. Players like Marc Pubill, Marcos Llorente, Grimaldo, Álex Baena, Giuliano, and Julián Álvarez did not play in the match. Neither did Ruggeri and Nahuel Molina, who might leave the club soon. The latest reinforcement, Kang-In Lee, did make his debut.
Despite Jorge Domínguez's goal just before halftime and the promising debut of Kang-In Lee, Atlético de Madrid could not secure the win. Manchester City came back with two goals from Omar Marmoush in just two minutes and a late strike from Ait Nouri.
The English team's second goal, which made it 2-1 between the 56th and 58th minutes, might have been offside from Semenyo, who assisted both goals that overturned the initial lead by the rojiblanco youth defender.
Kang-In Lee's debut was on the right, playing more centrally than wide, while Lemar stood out on the left. The Korean's first action was a direct free-kick shortly after coming onto the pitch.
The return of Pablo Barrios was particularly significant, adding a new level to Atlético's play and transition. The midfielder, hampered by injuries since February, played his first preseason minutes after recovering from discomfort, and is considered a key player when fit.
