Inter beat Manchester City on penalties in friendly after 1-1 draw

Inter beat Gianluigi Donnarumma’s Manchester City on penalties after a 1-1 draw in their pre-season friendly, as Benjamin Pavard cancelled out the Divin Mubamba opener.

The teams met in Hong Kong, a repeat of the 2023 Champions League Final, and a group game in the tournament last term. Enzo Maresca has taken over from Pep Guardiola as the new Manchester City coach, with Italy international Gigio Donnarumma in goal.

Francesco Pio Esposito should’ve scored in the third minute when at full stretch to reach a low cross on the counter, prodding it just wide of Donnarumma’s net.

HONG KONG, CHINA – AUGUST 1: Goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma of Manchester City in action during the Manchester City v Inter Milan – Pre-Season Friendly at Kai Tak Stadium on August 1, 2026 in Hong Kong, China. (Photo by Yu Chun Christopher Wong/Eurasia Sport Images/Getty Images)

Pep Martinez smothered a Tijjani Reijnders effort at the near post, but Manchester City broke the deadlock when Divin Mubama was ready to tap in the Antoine Semenyo roll across from the left.

Semenyo ran riot against Andy Diouf and forced a tricky save from Martinez, but Inter equalised when Donnarumma did well to deny Federico Dimarco, but could do little on the Benjamin Pavard follow-up.

Aleksandar Stankovic surged forward on the counter to test Donnarumma with an angled drive, and straight after the restart Donnarumma had to be on his toes to deny the Serbian.

HONG KONG, CHINA – AUGUST 1: Goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma of Manchester City reaches for the ball after an attempt at goal by Inter Milan during the Manchester City v Inter Milan – Pre-Season Friendly at Kai Tak Stadium on August 1, 2026 in Hong Kong, China. (Photo by Yu Chun Christopher Wong/Eurasia Sport Images/Getty Images)

Youth player Mattia Mosconi volleyed over the bar from Davide Frattesi’s cross, but Manchester City clipped the crossbar with Rayan Ait-Nouri after a corner.

Inter sat increasingly deep, as Manchester City had far more strength in depth to come off the bench, and the woodwork was rattled again by Ryan McAidoo’s angled drive.

Cristian Chivu’s side still threatened on the counter-attack, with a Leonardo Bovio half-volley charged down.

HONG KONG, CHINA – AUGUST 1: Head coach Enzo Maresca of Manchester City reacts during the Manchester City v Inter Milan – Pre-Season Friendly at Kai Tak Stadium on August 1, 2026 in Hong Kong, China. (Photo by Yu Chun Christopher Wong/Eurasia Sport Images/Getty Images)

It went to a penalty shoot-out in Hong Kong, which started with Ait-Nouri ballooning his effort into the stands, then Abdukodir Khusanov fired onto the upright.

Donnarumma made a big save on his fellow Italy teammate Davide Frattesi, as did Ivan Provedel on Nico Gonzalez, but Claudio Echeverri was the only Manchester City player to convert past Provedel.

Manchester City 1-1 Inter

Mubamba 14 (M), Pavard 20 (I)

Penalties: Ait-Nouri (Miss, M), Zielinski (Goal, I), Khusanov (Miss, M), Frattesi (Saved, I), Nico Gonzalez (Saved, M), Mosconi (Goal, I), Echeverri (Goal, M), Lavelli (Goal, I)

Manchester City: Donnarumma; Lewis, Khusanov, Gvardiol (Reis 46), Mfuni (McAidoo 46); Kovacic (Alleyne 46), Reijnders (Nico Gonzalez 46); Semenyo (Sangare 70), Foden (Echeverri 70), Savinho (Heskey 78); Mubama (Ait-Nouri 46)

Inter: J Martinez (Provedel 60); Pavard (Bovio 68), Bisseck (Maye 78), Carlos Augusto; Diouf (Luis Henrique 46), Barella (Frattesi 46), Stankovic (Topalovic 60), Mkhitaryan (Zielinski 46), Dimarco (Bastoni 46); Esposito (Lavelli 68), Iddrissou (Mosconi 46)