Haaland and Reijnders ruthless: Manchester City gives Palermo no chance

The historic friendly that featured Palermo on Saturday evening ended 3-0 for Manchester City: at the ‘Renzo Barbera’, against the team coached by Pep Guardiola, the Rosanero resisted for 25 minutes before suffering the goal of the Citizens’ lead, then good at closing the accounts in the second half.

To put Manchester City ahead is Erling Haaland, in minute 25: the diagonal of the Norwegian, who receives the ball from Rico Lewis and concludes without thinking too much about it) is impregnable for Gomis and is worth the 1-0, a score that the rosanero manage with a couple of providential defensive interventions to preserve until minute 59.

Just at the turn of the half-hour mark, it was former Milan player Tijjani Rejinders who made it 2-0: Savinho served the Dutchman, whose right-footed shot left the home team goalkeeper no chance. The pinwheel of changes, on both sides, lowered the pace considerably but there was still time at 82’82’ for the 3-0: Reijnders made it again, this time on a feed from Divine Mukasa.

Reijnders would also have a chance for 4-0 near 90′ but the former Milan midfielder forgives the Rosanero defense this time and fails to close out the hat trick. So 3-0 is the final score for Manchester City, already ready for the start of the Premier League set for Aug. 16 at home to Wolverhampton. On the same day, Palermo will be engaged instead in the Coppa Italia, against Cremonese.