Manchester United face their toughest pre-season challenge yet as they take on Atletico Madrid in Stockholm. United's summer preparations have been mixed so far, starting with a 1-0 defeat to Wrexham in Helsinki before bouncing back with a 5-0 win over Norwegian side Rosenborg in Trondheim. Manager Michael Carrick fielded senior players including Harry Maguire, Luke Shaw, Mason Mount, Bryan Mbeumo and new signing Andrey Santos in that game, though it was United's academy prospects who stood out, with 19-year-olds Shea Lacey, Jacob Devaney and Harry Amass, plus 20-year-old Ethan Williams, all finding the net.
Atletico Madrid arrive in Stockholm for only their second pre-season friendly, having beaten fellow La Liga side Getafe 4-1 in their opener. The Spanish club's summer transfer business has been active, with wing-back Alex Grimaldo joining from Bayer Leverkusen, midfielder Morten Hjulmand arriving from Sporting, and South Korean international Lee Kang-in signing from PSG. Atletico's La Liga campaign starts on August 19 against Malaga, three days ahead of United's Premier League opener.
Meanwhile, Manchester City begin a new chapter as Enzo Maresca takes charge of his first match since replacing Pep Guardiola, who stepped down after a decade in charge that yielded 15 major trophies. City's opening pre-season friendly against Italian champions Inter Milan takes place in Hong Kong and doubles as a rematch of the 2023 Champions League final between the two sides.
Several players from both City and Inter are missing from the squad as they continue post-World Cup breaks, opening the door for younger talents such as 17-year-old Jeremy Monga, who joined City from Leicester last month. England defender John Stones, reportedly set to join Inter after leaving City, will not feature as he remains on holiday.
The two friendlies kick off at different times: Man Utd vs Atletico Madrid starts at 9 a.m. ET (2 p.m. BST, 11 p.m. AEST), while Man City vs Inter Milan begins earlier at 7:30 a.m. ET (12:30 p.m. BST, 9:30 p.m. AEST). Broadcast arrangements also differ by region and platform, reflecting each club's separate media rights deals for their preseason tours.