Football: City defeated in pre-season opener

INNSBRUCK: Premier League champions Manchester City slumped to a 1-0 defeat to Al Hilal of Saudi Arabia in their opening pre-season match. Coach Roberto Mancini used 24 players in the match with Carlos Tevez, Yaya Toure, Vincent Kompany, Pablo Zabaleta and Adam Johnson all in the starting eleven. The only goal of the game came in the 68th minute when Shaker Nawaf Alabid beat goalkeeper Eirik Johansen with a fierce drive.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 15^th, 2012.