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Dundee logo
Pre-season Friendlies
Jul 13, 2014 at 4pm UK
 
Manchester City logo

2-0

Harkins (27'), Boyata (38' og.)
FT(HT: 2-0)

Live Commentary: Dundee 2-0 Manchester City - as it happened

Relive Sports Mole's live coverage of the pre-season friendly between Scottish Premiership side Dundee and Premier League champions Manchester City.
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Manchester City's pre-season began with a 2-0 defeat at the hands of Scottish Premiership side Dundee.

Gary Harkins opened the scoring with a rebound from a penalty after Willy Caballero had denied him moments earlier.

The home side doubled their lead shortly after as Dedryck Boyata deflected a Luka Tankulic strike into the back of the net.

Read how all the action unfolded below:


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Good afternoon! It's just half an hour until Manchester City begin their pre-season campaign with a visit to newly-promoted Scottish Premiership side Dundee. Let's start with a look at the team news...

MAN CITY STARTING XI: Caballero, Bossaerts, Kolarov, Denayer, Boyata, Navas, Fernando, Rodwell, Huws, Jovetic, Guidetti

The home side haven't named their starting lineup yet, but it's certainly an interesting team for the visitors. Willy Caballero makes his debut, having joined the Premier League champions earlier this week, as does Fernando. With many of City's regular starters still involved in or on a break following the World Cup, there are also rare starts for Jack Rodwell and Stevan Jovetic, who have both been linked with moves away from the club this summer.

City previously played Dundee in a testimonial match for defender Bobby Glennie 28 years ago. On that occasion, the sides played to a 2-2 draw.

As well as Dundee's Scottish Championship winners' trophy and the Premier League trophy, the Ryder Cup is also at the Dens Park Stadium today. Dundee defender Iain Davidson posed with all three before getting ready for today's game:



We're still waiting for full details of the Dundee team news, but according to the club's website there will be three trialists in their squad. With Man City not having their full strength squad, there should be a chance for them to impress.

Judging from this picture posted on Man City's Twitter feed a short while ago, it looks like there will be quite a few away fans in the stadium this afternoon:



DUNDEE STARTING XI: Adam, Irvine, McPake, Konrad, Dyer, McBride, Thomson, Cadogan, Harkins, McAlister, Tankulic

So it's a mix of experience and youth for Dundee as club captain Kevin Thomson is included in the starting lineup alongside three trialists; Konrad, Cadogan and Tankulic

With Man City captain Vincent Kompany having been involved in the World Cup this summer, the captaincy duties fall to Aleksander Kolarov this afternoon.

The players are just making their way out into the pitch now ready for kickoff. Incidentally, Man City are wearing their new kit for the first time.

KICKOFF! The hosts get the match underway.

The visitors are controlling the possession in the early stages of this encounter, but are yet to really test Dundee. Kolarov tries a long through-ball for Jason Denayer, but the young striker can't reach the ball in time.

Stevan Jovetic makes a run down the right-hand side before crossing into the box, but the home side are ready, and Adam punches the ball away before any of the City players can get a shot away.

Dundee go on the attack for the first time with Cadogan showing strong pace before trying to get the cross in, but Kolarov is on hand to make the clearance for the Premier League champions.

Fernando gets his first couple of touches as a Man City player as he finds his way through the centre of the of midfield before passing out wide to Guidetti. The winger crosses it, but Konrad is there to head it behind for a corner, which is swiftly dealt with by the hosts. Man City have probably looked the more threatening so far, but they still seem to be finding their rhythm at this stage, while Dundee look calm and well-organised at the back.

Dundee looks to catch their opponents out on the counter-attack, with Harkins picking out Tankulic with a chip into the box, but the on-trial forward is flagged for offside.

Man City win their second corner of the match when a Jack Rodwell ball forward for Guidetti is knocked behind by Willie Dyer. Kolarov tried to find Guidetti again from the corner, but Konrad hooks it away for the hosts.

Dyer concedes another corner as Navas tries to set up the opening goal for the visitors. Emyr Huws tries to head the ball into the path of Guidetti, but the striker can't quite reach it, letting the ball go behind for a goal kick.

A quick break from Dundee puts the visitors under pressure as Konrad collects the ball in space on the edge of the area, but his first touch just allows Denayer to strip it away from him. Dundee haven't spent that much time in the Man City half, but they do seem to have plenty of pace when going forward.

The home side have their first corner of the match as a Cadogan ball to Harkins is turned behind, but Emyr Huws is back on the post to help the visitors clear the danger.

PENALTY APPEAL! Another corner for Man City results in a header for Jack Rodwell. The midfielder claims that his effort was kept out by a hand ball by Dyer, but the referee waves away his appeals for a penalty.

Thomson wins the ball for Dundee in midfield and quickly passes out wide to Konrad, but Kolarov manages to clear on the edge of the area. Still neither keeper has really been called into action yet.

PENALTY TO DUNDEE!

Boyata charges into Harkins while trying to stop the midfielder getting a cross in.

GOAL! Dundee 1-0 Manchester City (Gary Harkins)

Willy Caballero does all he can to keep the ball out, actually denying Gary Harkins's inital strike from the spot, but the midfielder is ready to tuck the rebound in to give the hosts the lead.

Boyata's challenge to concede the spot kick really was quite clumsy as he tried to win a hig ball, but ended up merely charging into Harkins, possibly down to it being the first time Dundee had really looked like threatening the City goal.

Fernando tries to set up a quick equaliser for Man City as he slides the ball in for Navas, but the ball has a little too much pace and goes straight through to Grant Adam in goal. Incidentally, Adam, who is the brother of Stoke City's Charlie Adam, only joined the club a couple of days ago.

CHANCE! Stevan Jovetic catches Dundee napping at the back and manages to burst into the box with only the keeper to beat, but can only slice the ball into the side netting.

City are quickly on the attack again and win a corner when Guidetti's ball in towards Kolarov is diverted behind. Te visitors try to take the corner short but it's comfortably cleared by Dundee.

Dundee have certainly looked more attacking since taking the lead, which has allowed their opponents a bit more room on the counter, but Tankulic makes a superb run to win a corner.

GOAL! Dundee 2-0 Manchester City (Dedryck Boyata OG)

Dedryck Boyata is not having the best day! Having given away the penalty that allowed Dundee to break the deadlock, he's now turned the ball into his own net. It was actually a strike by trialist Luka Tankulic that set up the goal, but it took a massive deflection of the City defender to catch Caballero out and give the hosts their second of the afternoon.

The visitors have a bit of a job to do to get themselves back into this match now. Rodwell tries to get their comeback underway beating a couple of defenders, but he can't get his shot away.

Man City really are pressing to get a goal back before half time as Jovetic shows some impressive footwork in midfield before finding Guidetti with a through ball, but Rodwell loses out to Willie Dyer, who guides the ball to Adam.

HALF TIME: Dundee 2-0 Manchester City

The Scottish Premiership side lead the Premier League champions following two errors from Dedryck Boyata, resulting in a penalty and an own goal. The visitors have certainly had plenty of possession, but haven't really tested goalkeeper Grant Adam yet.

There have been some bright individual performances so far for Man City. John Guidetti has been able to use his pace to create a couple of half-chances, while Stevan Jovetic and Jesus Navas have also looked lively up front.

As it often the case with pre-season friendlies, there's likely to be plenty of substitutions in the second half. Dundee have named seven players on their bench, while the visitors have 12. City's substitutes actually started warming up after the second goal went in, so it looks like there will be changes before the start of the second half.

The players are making their way back out. It looks like there are quite a few changes for the visitors, as soon as we have the changes confirmed we'll let you know who is now playing. Meanwhile, there are three changes for Dundee.

KICKOFF! Man City get the second half underway.

MAN CITY SECOND HALF XI: Caballero, Richards, Leigh, Rekok, Nastasic, Zuculini, Garcia, Nasri, Negredo, Huws, Sinclair

CHANCE! Zuculini, who is making his debut for the team, almost gets his Man City career off to the perfect start as he tries to tap in from a Micah Richards cross, but it goes just wide.

DUNDEE SUBS: The home side brought on Davidson, Roberts and McGunn for McAlister, Thomson and Irvine ahead of the start of the second half

Roberts makes a bright run towards the Man City box for the home side, but Richards is back to halt his progress, and the home side are quickly back on the attack. The visitors made a similarly bright start in the first half, but seem to have a little more urgency about them now.

Rekik crosses in looking for Nasri, but Konrad is on hand to deflect it behind for a corner, which Adam comes off his line to punch away.

There's a bit of a lull in action as the Premier League champions just work to keep possession in midfield. As the ball is knocked out a play, there's a pause as it looks like the hosts are about to make a number of changes.

SUBS! Dundee make a further five changes, with goalscorer Gary Harkins and Luka Tankulic, whose striker led to the own goal, among those to make way, along with McPake, Cadogan and McBride. MacDonald, Stewart, Benedictus, Riley and Boyle all come on.

CHANCE! City try to take advantage of Dundee's changes by testing their opponents, as Sinclair makes a bright run down the right before crossing to Zuculini, but he hits the ball just wide. Zuculini has certainly been a threat since coming on at half time.

Richards makes a good run into the box and manages to win a corner, which Nasri curls in, but his delivery is a little on the high side, forcing Rekik to stretch to reach it, but he can't get his shot away.

CHANCE! Dundee win a free kick right on the edge of the box. Willie Dyer takes it and pulls it back to Iain Davidson, who unleashes a powerful volley from 20 yards out, but it was always rising, failing to trouble Caballero.

Dundee actually appear to be pushing for a third, as Stewart makes a superb run from midfield into the box, rounding a couple of City defenders on his way before being crowded out in the penalty area.

CHANCE! Peter MacDonald collects a high ball on the edge of the area and spots Caballero rushing off his line to collect, so tries to lob the keeper, but his effort is a fraction wide. It's been all Dundee for the last five minutes!

Negredo rushes in as Adam lines up a clearance, and actually manages to win the ball from the Dundee keeper, but he knocks it away from the stopper with such power that it goes straight out for a goal kick, which allows Dundee to immediately out Caballero under pressure at the other end again.

CHANCE! Negredo is on the ball again and produces a stunning backheel out wide to Nasri, but the Frenchman fires the ball straight into the arms of Adam.

Man City have really upped the tempo in the last few minutes as they desperately try to get a goal back. Emyr Huws makes a bright run down the left before looking for Negredo, but Dyer clears.

CHANCE! Negredo tries to force the ball in from a tight angle, but Adam spots the danger and turn the low strike behind with a diving save.

SUBS! Dundee make another couple of changes as Dyer and Konrad, who have both been superb for the hosts this afternoon, make way for Wighton and Kerr.

CHANCE! Zuculini and Huws team up as they try to test Adam again, but Zuculini loses out to McDonald as the hosts quickly press down the other end. Riley has a shot from close range but it's palmed away by Cabalerro before Garcia gets it clear.

CHANCE! Nasri produces a fantastic ball forward for Sinclair, but the midfielder is squeezed all the way by Davidson, forcing him to fire behind.

Negredo is continuing to push, but is flagged offside as he bears down on the penalty area.

Nicky Riley tries to set up one final chance for the hosts, but his first touch is poor.

FULL TIME: Dundee 2-0 Manchester City

So Manchester City's pre-season campaign has begun with defeat to Dundee thanks to two first-half goals for the home side. The Premier League champions certainly saw more of the ball and probably had the better of the chances over the course of the match, but the hosts were too strong defensively, and made the most of their opportunities.

As they're still without their players that were involved in the World Cup, City won't place too much significance on the defeat, but it will certainly be a huge boost for Dundee as they prepare for life back in the Scottish Premiership. They played a number of trialists and new signings during the match and will be optimistic heading into the new season.

Well that's all from this match, but stick around to read reports from a number of pre-season fixtures as well as live coverage from the World Cup final coming up shortly. Thanks for joining me this afternoon, goodbye.

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