THE VERDICT: GIRONA 1 CITY 0
IT is a bizarre take on modern football that the best City player on the pitch in Catalonia was wearing the red and white of Girona!
Pablo Maffeo was one of 15 Blues who were on the pitch in the second half as City have loaned four of their youngsters to the newly-promoted La Liga side.
Right-back Maffeo was the only one who started, while Aleix Garcia, £10m buy Douglas Luiz and Marlos Moreno all arrived as second-half subs.
And it was Maffeo who shone brightest of those 15, shackling Leroy Sane and thrusting forward effectively himself, with the men in sky blue looking like they had no idea why they had been transplanted to Catalonia in the week between their opening two Premier League games.
The answer to that question is that the City Football Group is expected to announce the acquisition of Girona any time now, so this was a friendly gesture – as well as the fact that several players needed a game after just four pre-season matches were played.
For Pep Guardiola – whose agent brother Pere is involved at Girona – it was a useful exercise as he gave Bernardo Silva a low-key first start in blue.
And he was also able to reintroduce Ilkay Gundogan to action as a secondhalf sub after eight months out with a cruciate ligament injury.
And with Phil Foden and Brahim Diaz being given a sharp lesson in the need for physicality among the big boys, the City boss will be happy enough with the run-out.
The fact he made nine changes from the starting XI at Brighton showed how he wanted to use this game, with the Costa Brava Trophy clearly not high on his list of silverware priorities!
Only John Stones, who played a half, and Danilo, who got a full game in his preferred right-back role, stayed in the team, allowing useful minutes for Yaya Toure, Leroy Sane and Raheem Sterling, not forgetting Eliaquim Mangala.
The French defender is still officially on the “For Sale” list at the Etihad Stadium but the fact he was on the bench at Brighton and was one of the brighter lights in this trundle of a game perhaps Stuart Brennan Portu (14) None 39% 61% 5 3 4 5 Garcia Bernardo Silva suggests Guardiola may turn to him if his hunt for a fourth centre-back comes to nothing.
Tosin Adarabioyo proved he is not quite at the necessary level to take that role, getting caught too deep for the only goal.
He failed to close down Cristhian Stuani’s run down the Girona left, and when he arced a cross towards the far post, Sane – in the left wing-back role – showed his defensive naivety by tripping over his own feet and allowing Portu time and space to stroke the ball past Claudio Bravo.
City had their chances, with Sterling forcing a save from Gorka Iraizoz and Sane flashing a free-kick just wide before Sterling, Bernardo and sub Gabriel Jesus all squandered opportunities late in the game.