Manchester City's preparations for the new season continued with a penalty shootout defeat to Olympiacos in Minneapolis on Saturday night.
The Premier League champions took the lead in the International Champions Cup group game through Stevan Jovetic in the 35th minute, but Dimitris Diamantakos took advantage of some poor defending moments later to level the scores.
City were back in front early in the second half when Aleksandar Kolarov fired home a penalty after David Silva had been fouled inside the box, and they remained in control until the 66th minute as Diamantakos equalised for the second time.
Penalties were needed to separate the two sides, and it was Olympiacos who secured the 5-4 success in sudden death after James Milner, Scott Sinclair and Micah Richards had missed from 12 yards.
Read below to find out how the drama unfolded.
Good evening everyone. These pre-season friendly matches just keep on coming, don't they? The International Champions Cup takes centre stage in Minneapolis tonight as Premier League champions Manchester City meet Olympiacos. It's 30 minutes until the action gets underway.
I think Manuel Pellegrini will have seen this experience in the USA as good preparation for the beginning of their title defence. The results may not matter, but they've faced very good opposition. A 5-1 triumph was followed by a defeat on penalties to Liverpool. They'll expect to finish their Group B campaign with a win.
Olympiacos: Roberto, Elabdellaoui, Masuaku, Manolas, Siovas, Maniatis, Samaris, Kasami, Dominguez, Saviola, Diamantakos
Man City: Hart, Clichy, Kolarov, Boyata, Rekik, Fernando, Navas, Toure, Nasri, Jovetic, Dzeko
Pellegrini names a strong team for this match at the TCF Bank Stadium. Yaya Toure, Edin Dzeko, Samir Nasri and Joe Hart all included, while 19-year-old Karim Rekik is given another chance to impress as he starts alongside Dedryck Boyata in the centre of defence.
Olympiacos arrive with players who can threaten City, with Pajtim Kasami a player they will know well following his spell with Fulham. Javier Saviola is plying his trade in Greece these days, and he'll certainly cause problems for Boyata and Rekik.
In two weeks the Premier League will have begun, but City will be competing for the first trophy of the season when they take on Arsenal in the Community Shield at Wembley. Although that's sometimes considered just another pre-season friendly, we will certainly be given a clear indication of where Pellegrini's side are. Some of the younger players will be eager to impress tonight to force their way into contention for that match.
PITCH LEVEL: Stadium filling up nicely #cityontour pic.twitter.com/VIw3eTjMiL
— Manchester City FC (@MCFC) August 2, 2014
PREDICTION: Kickoff is less than 20 minutes away in Minneapolis, so it's time for my prediction. Without any pressure on their shoulders, I can see City's big guns putting on a show tonight. Olympiacos are likely to cause problems for the City defence, but I'll go for a 3-1 win to Pellegrini's side.
It's going to be interesting to see how Man City approach this game. Pellegrini will be expecting his side to begin executing the tactics which brought them success last season, but there will be any changes to the City style? Stevan Jovetic has impressed in pre-season, so it will be intriguing to see how he combines with Dzeko.
Fernando is partnering Toure in the centre of midfield this evening, and the former Porto ace may be seeing these pre-season games as an opportunity to secure a regular spot in the team. Fernandinho was impressive in their successful title bid, so there's definitely a question for Pellegrini to answer.
Plenty of teams have been in action today already, with convincing wins being recorded by Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal, who were helped by four goals from Yaya Sanogo in their victory over Benfica. You can catch up with all the results here - Saturday's scores
Here we go then. The teams are out in the middle, and the action is just a few moments away at the TCF Bank Stadium.
Olympiacos, in their famous red and white strip, get the game underway.
Olympiacos have a goal disallowed! Dominguez exchanges passes with Saviola to slice open the City defence, but the flag is up as the former curls the ball past Hart. Impressive start to this game.
Pellegrini picked two full backs who favour their left foot for this match, and it's Gael Clichy who has been asked to do his work from the right, with Kolarov in has natural left-sided position. Man City have a chance with a free kick from the right, but Olympiacos clear.
Olympiacos head coach Michel will be pretty happy with what he's seen in the early stages. His side are looking confident in possession in the first few minutes.
CHANCE! Michel will not be a happy man now. Toure is allowed to venture forward unopposed to collect a chipped pass before picking out Nasri, who drags his shot wide of the target from just inside the box.
Dzeko isn't at his sharpest as he is penalised for offside attempting to get on the end of a long ball forward. Neither defence has looked that convincing, so there should be goals in this match tonight.
Remember that fantastic goal Kasami scored for Fulham at Crystal Palace? Well, he was nowhere near adding to his collection a moment ago. The midfielder's radar is off as he fires over the crossbar from 30 yards. Will he ever hit a ball like that again?
Olympiacos enjoy a long spell of possession in midfield, but the chance is wasted as Dominguez becomes the latest player to hit a speculative strike over from outside the box.
SUBSTITUTION: Bad news for Michel as he is forced to bring off Siovas, who has picked up a knock and is replaced by Avraam Papadopoulos.
Papadopoulos is immediately forced into action as he steals the ball away from Dzeko on the edge of the box before then winning a free kick from the Bosnian striker. It was an important interception because Jovetic had found space in the box.
CHANCE! Lovely football from City. Navas plays a superb pass to Dzeko on the right side of the box, and the striker turns well to pick out Jovetic, who can only send his effort over the crossbar from the edge of the area.
Pellegrini's side are beginning to take control of the match, with Olympiacos struggling to keep the ball for an extended period as we come towards the halfway point in the first half. A goal could be just around the corner for the Premier League champions.
An inviting cross from Clichy reaches Nasri at the back post, but his strike across the area is diverted behind for a corner. Olympiacos then manage to clear the danger as City waste a good opportunity.
Olympiacos want a penalty, but the referee is not convinced. A long ball over the top causes problems for Boyata, who makes a clumsy challenge on Diamantakos. However, there appears to be very little contact between the two players. Let's put that in the 'seen them given' category.
CLOSE! Jovetic cuts in from the left to attract interest from a couple of defenders before finding Toure, who only has one thing in mind as he opens up his body before curling just wide of the target from 30 yards.
Clichy has been very influential on the right side of the pitch. The Frenchman delivers a brilliant cross into the area to find the run of Dzeko, but Manolas does very well to dispossess the City striker in the six-yard box.
Jovetic wins a free kick in the centre of the pitch, and the referee takes the opportunity to call for a drinks break on a very hot afternoon in Minneapolis.
SAVE! Great play from Kolarov as he forces his way into the box from the left wing, but he's denied a goal when Roberto makes a great stop with his feet.
GOAL! OLYMPIACOS 0-1 MAN CITY (JOVETIC)
Superb from Jovetic! The forward weaves his way into the box, and despite having very little of the goal to aim at, he somehow manages to pick out the smallest of openings at the near post to beat a helpless Roberto. That's his fifth goal of this pre-season tournament.
GOAL! OLYMPIACOS 1-1 MAN CITY (DIAMANTAKOS)
In the blink of an eye, Olympiacos are level. The City defence falls asleep as they unsuccessfully appeal for offside, and their powerless to prevent the ball from reaching Diamantakos, whose effort is too strong for Hart to keep out. Poor from the Premier League champions.
Easy decision for the assistant referee as he raises his flag to frustrate Nasri, who had converted from an offside position following a clever flick from Dzeko in the build up.
Clichy involved once again as he holds his width to collect the ball in a good area before curling a cross towards Dzeko, who fails to make the desired contact at the near post.
Man City are on top as the first half enters its final minute. Jovetic beats the offside trap close in on goal, and he appears to be fouled by Papadopoulos. However, the referee fails to spot the contact from the defender. Kolarov is furious, and he's booked just moments later. Don't tell him it's only pre-season.
CHANCE! Couple of close calls for City as Nasri, possibly expecting to be caught by Roberto, misses the opportunity to tap in Dzeko's cross. A few seconds later, Dzeko fails to find the target with his volley after being picked out by Navas.
HALF TIME: The referee blows the whistle as these two teams head back inside on level terms. Jovetic opened the scoring with a clever finish on 35 minutes, but City were made to pay for losing their concentration as Diamantakos equalised just two minutes. It's delicately poised at the TCF Bank Stadium.
There's been some good football played by Man City and Olympiacos, but we've also had spells of some pretty poor stuff in Minneapolis. City have certainly been the better side since making a slow start, and they perhaps should be ahead by one or two goals. Jovetic was quiet before his goal, and he has struggled to link up with Dzeko.
In truth, the pitch really hasn't helped this game. It looks difficult to play passes quickly at times due to the uneven nature of the surface. I'm not sure if either manager will be happy to play on a pitch like this in pre-season.
I'd expect to see plenty of changes made at the break. Unfortunately, that will often disrupt the flow of the game in pre-season fixtures such as this one. Let's see what the managers have in mind for the second half.
The teams are back out in the middle, and City will get the game back underway.
SUBSTITUTIONS: James Milner, David Silva, John Guidetti, Bruno Zuculini, Micah Richards and Javi Garcia have been sent on as replacements for Navas, Clichy, Toure, Dzeko, Fernando and Nasri.
CHANCE! Milner makes an immediate impact as he reaches the byline before clipping a cross to the back post, where Jovetic fails to beat Roberto with a weak effort. That should have been a second for City.
Guidetti is getting involved as much as possible early on in the second half, but the ball won't quite drop for him in the box, and Olympiacos eventually clear.
PENALTY! Silva exchanges passes with Jovetic on the edge of the area before being brought down in the box by Masuaku.
GOAL! OLYMPIACOS 1-2 MAN CITY (KOLAROV)
Kolarov missed his penalty in the defeat to Liverpool in midweek, but he makes no mistake this time as he fires into the roof of the net. Replays suggested that Silva may have gone down too easily, but City won't mind now.
SUBSTITUTION: Another change made at the break escaped me, but Saviola did go off to be replaced by Mathieu Dossevi.
Pellegrini's changes have certainly made an impact. Guidetti, perhaps with a view to impressing ahead of the new season, seems willing to do plenty of running in the channels, and the tempo has been increased.
SAVE! Silva is offered an a yard on the edge of the box, and he almost makes it count as a low effort is pushed to safety by Roberto.
Olympiacos have barely launched an attack in the second half. City are dominating possession, and it seems likely that they'll find more goals in the final 30 minutes.
Man City youngster Rekik has looked very promising tonight. The 19-year-old hasn't been asked to do too much, but he's calm on the ball and has often sensed danger quickly when Olympiacos have ventured forward.
GOAL! OLYMPIACOS 2-2 MAN CITY (DIAMANTAKOS)
It didn't look like Olympiacos had another goal in them tonight, but they've levelled the scores for the second time. Bouchalakis, who had just been sent on by his manager, executed the perfect pass for Diamantakos to take the ball past Hart before tapping home his second of the game. Lovely finish.
Shortly before that goal, Ghazaryan, Bouchalakis and Avlonitis had replaced Manolas, Kasami, Dominguez, while Diamantakos has just made way for Salino.
Can Man City produce a reaction? It was one-way traffic, but another lapse in concentration has cost them the lead. Silva is seeing a plenty of the ball, so if his teammates can go beyond him, you'd back the Spaniard to create some magic late on.
Olympiacos must be careful. Kolarov is offered far too much room to carry the ball 40 up the pitch, and a promising move only breaks down when Milner's clever flick is intercepted.
SUBSTITUTION: It could be a big, big season for Jovetic, but his work for tonight is now over as he jogs off to be replaced by Scott Sinclair.
The game is beginning to open up now. Milner loses his marker with an excellent piece of skill before failing to get past the last defender. Olympiacos respond by charging forward, but an offside flag halts their progress. The players then take another drinks break.
SAVE! Great play from Milner as he picks out the run of Silva in the box, but the Spaniard is denied once again as Roberto makes an excellent stop with his left hand.
A quick reminder that there will be a penalty shootout to decide the winner if this match is level after 90 minutes. Will there be a late goal?
Man City are struggling to pick the right pass in the final third of the pitch in the past few minutes. Silva is dropping deeper to collect the ball more often, which is leaving Guidetti isolated in attack.
Chance for Olympiacos as two substitutes combine to create an opening, but Kolovos fails to take the ball under control in the box after being brilliantly picked out by Salino.
Richards is forced to concede a corner as Olympiacos turn up the pressure once again. This is better from the Greek champions. Can they take advantage?
Awful from Dossevi as his corner manages to beat every single player inside the box. We're on course for penalties in Minneapolis.
Milner and Silva are heavily involved as City keep possession for over a minute. The ball eventually reaches Sinclair, who cuts inside before firing over the crossbar. There will be two minutes added on.
Olympiacos are holding firm in stoppage time, despite City's best efforts to find a breakthrough in the closing stages.
FULL TIME: OLYMPIACOS 2-2 MAN CITY
Not too much to report in the closing stages as both sides settle for penalties. If Olympiacos record victory in the shootout, it will be Liverpool who advance to the final of the International Champions Cup.
Here we go then. It's going to be Silva who takes the first penalty of the shootout.
GOAL! OLYMPIACOS 0-1 CITY: Never in doubt. Silva slots his effort into the bottom corner.
GOAL! OLYMPIACOS 1-1 CITY: Samaris makes no mistake as he sends Hart the wrong way to level the scores.
GOAL! OLYMPIACOS 1-2 CITY: Kolarov ensures it's two penalties in one night as he fires home emphatically.
SAVE! OLYMPIACOS 1-2 CITY: Dussevi blinks first as Hart dives to his left to make a decent save.
SAVE! OLYMPIACOS 1-2 CITY: Milner targets the bottom corner, but Roberto reacts superbly to make his first stop.
GOAL! OLYMPIACOS 2-2 CITY: Kolovos gives Hart no chance with a powerful strike which finds the top corner.
SAVE! OLYMPIACOS 2-2 CITY: Roberto guesses correctly to keep out Sinclair and give his side the advantage.
GOAL! OLYMPIACOS 3-2 CITY: Ghazaryan holds his nerve to send Hart diving helplessly the wrong way.
GOAL! OLYMPAICOS 3-3 CITY Zuculini had to score, and he confidently smashes the ball home to keep his side in it.
SAVE! OLYMPIACOS 3-3 CITY: Papadopoulos fails to complete the win as Hart sends it to sudden death.
GOAL! OLYMPIACOS 3-4 CITY Confident spot kick from Guidetti.
GOAL! OLYMPIACOS 4-4 CITY Bouchalakis ensures the shootout goes on for a bit longer.
SAVE! OLYMPIACOS 4-4 CITY Terrible from Richards as the defender sends the ball over the crossbar.
OLYMPIACOS WIN 5-4 ON PENALTIES! Papazoglou completes the victory by slotting home from 12 yards. What a dramatic shootout!
That's all we have time for tonight. The win for Olympiacos on penalties means that both of these teams are out of the International Champions Cup, with Liverpool progressing to the final in Miami on Monday. Thank you for joining me this evening. Goodnight.
Written by
Callum Mulvihill
Callum Mulvihill
