Bayern bounce back to floor Manchester City

European champions beat EPL club 2-1 in pre-season tournament.

BERLIN: Pep Guardiola’s Bayern Munich came from behind to beat Premier League side Manchester City 2-1 in the final of the European champion’s pre-season tournament.

“We’re at a good level, but against a top team like Manchester City we had a few problems putting our chances away,” admitted Bayern star Thomas Mueller who set up the winning goal and netted a penalty.

Both teams have new managers at their respective helms as ex-Barcelona boss Guardiola experiments with his starting line-up, including Germany star Bastian Schweinsteiger, who celebrated his 29th birthday.

Likewise, new City boss Manuel Pellegrini is still looking for his best line-up after succeeding Roberto Mancini.

Eight days before Munich kick-off the new Bundesliga season at home to Moenchengladbach, Croatia striker Mario Mandzukic headed home Bayern’s 73rd-minute winner.



City’s Spanish striker Alvaro Negrado had given the guests the lead with an hour gone when he slotted his shot into the bottom left corner after France’s Sami Nasri unlocked the Bayern defence.

Champions League winners Bayern got back on level terms just five minutes later when City’s Pablo Zabaleta gave away a handball penalty after a tussle with Mandzukic and Mueller slotted home the resulting spot-kick.

Mandzukic, who scored Bayern’s first goal in the 2-1 Wembley victory over Borussia Dortmund to give them their fifth European crown, then got on the end of Mueller’s cross to drill home the winner.

Chelsea top Inter in friendly tournament

Chelsea passed their toughest test since Jose Mourinho returned as manager, posting a 2-0 friendly win over Inter Milan, the team Mourhinho guided to the 2010 Champions League crown.

The victory, courtesy of goals from Oscar and Eden Hazard in the first half-hour, saw Chelsea book a meeting with AC Milan tomorrow in New York in the International Champions Cup friendly tournament.

The event, which also features Everton, Juventus, Real Madrid, Valencia and the Los Angeles Galaxy, concludes in Miami on August 7.

In another match, French striker Karim Benzema scored twice in the second-half and Real Madrid coasted past the Los Angeles Galaxy 3-1.

Angel Di Maria also scored for Real, his 15th-minute goal putting the Spanish giants on the path to a fourth win in as many years over the two-time defending Major League Soccer champions.

With the win, Real booked a clash with English Premiership club Everton in the winners’ bracket of the tournament today at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 3^rd, 2013.

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