Inter beat Manchester City on penalties after 1-1 draw in Hong Kong friendly
Inter Milan defeated Manchester City 4-2 on penalties after a 1-1 draw in regular time at the Kai Tai Stadium in Hong Kong, with young defender Lavelli netting the decisive spot-kick in front of 50,000 fans on 1 August 2026.
Early exchanges and goals
Manchester City started brightly and opened the scoring in the 13th minute. Antoine Semenyo drove down the left flank, beat his marker Diouf and squared the ball for youngster Mubama, who tapped into an empty net. Inter responded quickly: just six minutes later, Benjamin Pavard equalised. Young midfielder Stankovic picked out Federico Dimarco with an accurate pass, and Pavard arrived to meet Dimarco's deflected cross, sending a positive signal to manager Cristian Chivu. The first half ended evenly at 1-1 after an entertaining, balanced contest.
- Mubama scores for City, assisted by Semenyo
- Pavard equalises for Inter
- City dominate possession; Vitor Reis hits crossbar, McAidoo hits post
- Match ends 1-1
- Inter win 4-2; Lavelli scores decisive penalty
Second-half siege and substitutions
The second period was dominated by Enzo Maresca's side, who kept possession and pushed Inter deep into their own half. The match became a flurry of substitutions as both coaches rotated heavily. City struck the woodwork twice, a Vitor Reis header crashed against the crossbar and McAidoo hit a post, but Ivan Provedel, who replaced Martinez in goal on the hour mark, and a disciplined Inter defence held firm. Despite City's territorial advantage, the score remained level after 90 minutes.
A Hong Kong termina 1-1 tra Inter e Manchester City nei tempi regolamentari, ma alla lotteria dei rigori a spuntarla è la squadra di Cristian Chivu.
Penalty shootout drama
The shootout was defined by English miscues. Donnarumma saved a penalty from former teammate Frattesi, while Provedel denied Nico Gonzalez. Manchester City missed three of their four spot-kicks, converting only through Echeverry. At 4-2, the honour fell to Lavelli, one of several academy players promoted to the first team for the pre-season tour, and he beat Donnarumma to seal the victory for the Nerazzurri.
Penalty decisivo di Lavelli che batte Donnarumma, mentre gli inglesi sbagliano tre tiri dal dischetto su quattro.
Key performers
Aleksandar Stankovic delivered a performance rich in quality and energy in midfield, earning a 7/10 rating from Italian press. Pavard's equaliser and composure at the back offered a reminder to manager Chivu. For City, Semenyo was a constant threat with his pace on the wing and Mubama, the teenage striker, showed readiness beyond his years with a cool finish. The match, played as part of pre-season preparations, provided Chivu with encouraging signals from the squad's youngsters and returning players alike.
