Manchester City comeback beats Atlético Madrid 3-1 in Seoul as Marmoush nets brace

Manchester City beat Atlético Madrid 3-1 in a pre-season friendly at the Seoul World Cup Stadium on Sunday, August 9, with Omar Marmoush scoring twice in the second half and Rayan Ait-Nouri adding a 90th-minute goal after Jorge Dominguez had put Atlético ahead.

City dominated early play, repeatedly testing Jan Oblak, but Atlético’s defence resisted those first-half pressures and capitalised on a City error when Jorge Dominguez found space in the box to open the scoring in the 43rd minute.

Manchester City kept up sustained pressure after the break and saw it rewarded when Omar Marmoush struck twice in two minutes to overturn the deficit and give City the lead; Antoine Semenyo supplied the assists for both of Marmoush’s second-half goals.

Atlético attempted to probe on the counter following Marmoush’s double, but their forwards did not mount a serious threat to Gianluigi Donnarumma, who remained unbeaten by their attacks in the second half.

Marmoush’s contribution carried additional context: the Egyptian forward started just eight times last season, scoring three goals, and his brace in Seoul will give new head coach Enzo Maresca food for thought regarding selection given the competition for striking minutes in City’s squad.

Atlético’s defensive set-up drew mixed assessments; the match report described their football as not the most attractive but highly effective, with Robin Le Normand and David Hancko cited as solid at the heart of the defence and Oblak facing a barrage of shots on target in the first half yet keeping the visitors in front until halftime.

Attackingly, Atlético struggled to create meaningful chances beyond Dominguez’s 43rd-minute strike that stemmed from a City lapse; Ademola Lookman and Rodrigo Mendoza failed to trouble Donnarumma, and the report flagged concerns over the side’s lack of offensive firepower — adding that, should Julian Alvarez depart this summer, Diego Simeone would face difficulties in that area.

The 3-1 scoreline provided Manchester City with a comfortable pre-season victory in Seoul and underlined Marmoush’s immediate case for consideration by Enzo Maresca as City move into the remainder of their pre-season and the forthcoming competitive fixtures.