European giants Manchester City, AC Milan face off at Yankee Stadium Saturday

Soccer Football – Serie A – Fiorentina v AC Milan – Stadio Artemio Franchi, Florence, Italy – March 30, 2024 AC Milan’s Christian Pulisic reacts REUTERS/Jennifer Lorenzini

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European giants Manchester City and AC Milan will face off at Yankee Stadium on Saturday as part of their respective preseason tours throughout the United States.

Manchester City has been a dominant force in English soccer over the past decade, while AC Milan represents one of the most historically successful brands in all of sports. Both teams are star-studded. 

Man City is coming off of another successful season in England, winning their third consecutive Premier League title, accomplishing that feat for the second time under legendary manager Pep Guardiola. The notable names to watch for the game at Yankee Stadium for City are Erling Haaland and Jack Grealish. Haaland, of Norway has had a rested summer as his nation did not qualify for the European Championships. He is, however, the most prolific goalscorer in the Premier League right now, setting the competition record in the 2022/23 season. 

Grealish is a fan favorite with a fun-loving personality that is ideal for a New York City visit. After struggling to find form with City this past season, he was left out of England’s squad for the Euros. Grealish was integral to the City team that won the treble (Premier League, UEFA Champions League, FA Cup) in 2022/23. The former Aston Villa star will be looking to round back into that kind of form on this preseason tour. He is a creative player who likes to take on defenders from wide positions and cause problems. Look for him to get back to those roots. 

City will also likely be fielding two academy products which have found semi-regular gametime in defender Rico Lewis and winger Oscar Bobb. Aside from those two and the stars previously mentioned, City will likely be fielding a team of youth academy products who have not seen a lot of high-level game time. This will be a golden opportunity for them, and for American soccer fans to see Guardiola’s next generation. 

On the AC Milan side, the headliner is Captain America, Christian Pulisic. Despite a disappointing Copa America showing from his USMNT, Pulisic is coming off of his best professional season in Milan and will look to build on it. Expect him to get a hero’s welcome from the New York faithful, and to receive cheers on every touch of the ball. Fellow American Yunus Musah is also part of Milan’s squad for their summer tour. Anticipate lots of fanfare for him as well, as he is a native New Yorker. 

AC Milan’s player to watch is Rafael Leao. He has strung together multiple consecutive seasons as one of Serie A’s best players. Leao is coming off a European Championship in which he was impressive despite Portugal’s ultimately disappointing end to the tournament. Similar to Grealish, Leao boasts skills to willingly take on defenders. The difference between the two is that Leao has more speed, strength, and goals on his mind. While Grealish will look to create space and pass, Leao wants to pick the ball up in wide positions, drive at defenders, and score. He has shown the capability to be a player that gets you out of your seat constantly in Serie A. 

The game will be hosted by New York-based content creator Troy Press, who hosts New York City FC games. Press is an actor, host, and social media creator who is crucial to the growth of soccer in New York City, and is a favorite in the New York soccer community, always bringing energy on matchday. 

With a few hometown heroes in town and all kinds of world superstars on display as part of two of the most recognizable teams in sports, AC Milan vs Manchester City promises to be a fireworks show at Yankee Stadium.