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Manchester City finalise pre-season plans with two further friendly fixtures agreed

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Manchester City will face Bayern Munich in Tokyo as part of their 2023/24 pre-season tour, the club have announced.

Pep Guardiola and Thomas Tuchel will do battle in July, a repeat of the Champions League quarter-final clash between the Premier League and Bundesliga giants which took place in April.

City beat Bayern Munich 4-1 on aggregate, taking commanding control of the quarter-final tie with a 3-0 first-leg victory at the Etihad Stadium, courtesy of goals from Rodri, Ilkay Gundogan and Erling Haaland.

Haaland also netted in the second-leg at the Allianz Arena, as City drew 1-1 and secured a thumping win over the German side in Bavaria.

The Sky Blues will face Bayern Munich on Wednesday 26th July, one of two matches in the Japanese capital, as part of a wider pre-season tour of Asia.

City will also face J.League champions and fellow City Football Group club Yokohama F Marinos three days prior on Sunday 23rd July, with both matches being played at the Japan National Stadium.

The Premier League champions played their sister-club during their previous tour of Asia in 2019, while the Blues also faced Bayern Munich in a pre-season friendly last year, in America.

Reacting to the decision for City and Bayern Munich to play friendlies in Japan this summer, Yoshikazu Nonomura, Chairman of the J.League, said: “In this, the 30th anniversary year of the J.League, we are delighted to announce that we will be hosting two spectacular matches, welcoming two top-tier European clubs, Manchester City and Bayern Munich.”

The two fixtures in Japan are part of a wider pre-season tour of Asia, after Manchester City previously announced plans to play Atletico Madrid in South Korea on Sunday 30th July.

City are scheduled to play the La Liga club at the World Cup Stadium in Seoul as part of the Coupang Play Series.

Manchester City and Atletico Madrid played out a feisty Champions League quarter-final in 2022, with Kevin De Bruyne’s first-leg goal the difference between the two teams, as ugly scenes marred the second-leg in Madrid.

Speaking about Manchester City’s pre-season plans, Chief Commercial Officer at the City Football Group, Esteve Calzada said: “We are excited to announce this preseason fixture in Seoul, South Korea as part of our Asia tour this summer, as we return to the region for the first time since 2019.

“The Club has previously enjoyed trips to Japan, most recently in 2019, and our presence in the country has continued to grow in recent years.

“Our Asia tour to Japan and Korea is exciting as we look to collaborate with our partners within the region to bring exciting activations to our fanbase in the countries.”

As well as pre-season friendlies, City will have the opportunity to continue their preparations with the FA Community Shield Final, as securing a third consecutive Premier League title ensured their participation in the annual season curtain-raiser.

Guardiola’s side will face either Manchester United or Arsenal, depending on the result of the FA Cup Final between City and United at Wembley Stadium next month.

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