Enzo Maresca hails Antoine Semenyo and Omar Marmoush partnership after Man City win

Enzo Maresca has praised the blossoming partnership between Antoine Semenyo and Omar Marmoush after the pair combined twice to inspire Manchester City’s 3-1 comeback win over Atletico Madrid in Seoul.

Semenyo provided two assists for Marmoush in a devastating three-minute spell early in the second half, helping City overturn Jorge Dominguez’s first-half opener and finish their Asia pre-season tour on a high.

The Ghana international was one of City’s standout performers throughout the tour, recording four assists across three matches and providing a constant threat from the left flank.

Maresca was particularly pleased with the contribution of his wide players, with Savinho also impressing on the opposite side as City controlled possession and created the majority of the opportunities against the Spanish side.

Semenyo-Marmoush combination pays off

City had dominated the first half but went into the break behind after Dominguez reacted quickest to score from close range shortly before half-time.

The Premier League champions eventually found a way through in the 57th minute when Semenyo accelerated down the left before sending a low cross into the box for Marmoush to finish.

The pair struck again just two minutes later.

Semenyo once more found space on the left and delivered another dangerous low ball, with Marmoush making no mistake to complete his quickfire double and turn the match in City’s favour.

Substitute Rayan Ait-Nouri then put the result beyond doubt in stoppage time, completing a 3-1 victory in front of more than 50,000 supporters at Seoul World Cup Stadium.

“Overall, it was a very good test against one of the best teams in Europe,” Maresca said. “Credit to the players for the effort they have done. From tomorrow, pre-season is finished and the real business starts.”

Maresca demands greater ruthlessness

Despite the encouraging result, Maresca believes City must become more clinical before competitive football begins.

City created several openings during the contest but needed two moments of quality from Semenyo and Marmoush to finally break Atletico’s resistance.

“We need to be clinical. It’s something we need to improve,” he said. “Slowly we are getting there and with Erling (Haaland) we can be even more dangerous. Today Omar scored twice. This is a boost.”

Marmoush’s two goals provided another positive for Maresca, while Semenyo’s four assists across the tour underlined the attacking threat he can offer from wide areas.

The Ghanaian’s performances also suggest he could play an important role in Maresca’s plans as the new City boss continues to shape his side following the departure of Pep Guardiola.

City gather momentum ahead of Arsenal test

The victory over Atletico capped an encouraging three-game tour for Maresca.

City began with a draw against Inter Milan before losing on penalties, then responded with a victory over a K League All-Stars selection before producing their strongest result against Atletico.

Maresca now has little time to experiment, with the Community Shield against Arsenal scheduled for August 16.

The fixture will provide City with their first competitive test under the new manager and an early opportunity to assess whether the promising attacking chemistry seen in Asia can translate into competitive football.