Manchester City vs. AC Milan: Date, Time, Live Stream, TV Info and More

What could be better than Manchester City facing AC Milan in a preseason match during the 2013 Audi Cup?

Well, a Champions League match between the two teams would be—but you get the idea. It's not often fans get to enjoy two powerhouses facing off in the preseason, so this one should be fun. 

According to Shane Farrington of Goal.com, former Citizen Mario Balotelli won't be in action, and AC Milan of course won't have their full squad.

Still, there will be plenty of intrigue in this match. Let's break it all down here.

When: Wednesday, July 31 at 12 p.m. ET (5 p.m. BST)

Where: Allianz Arena, Munich, Germany

Watch: ESPN2

Streaming: WatchESPN

What They're Saying

In news that may raise a few eyebrows, Manuel Pellegrini believes his first-choice striker this season will be...Edin Dzeko. 

That's not to suggest that Dzeko isn't talented or anything, but that's a bit of a surprise.

From Goal.com:

"

Edin Dzeko will be Manchester City's first-choice striker this season, manager Manuel Pellegrini has revealed.

Despite an array of competition that includes Argentine Sergio Aguero and new signings Stevan Jovetic and Alvaro Negredo, the new boss has pinpointed the former Wolfsburg striker as his main attacking outlet.

"We could've signed other players but I consider [Dzeko] the main striker of the team and I'm sure his performance along the season will be really good," Pellegrini told reporters.

"I very much trust him and I can say that every other player that have come are a support for a squad that needs to have more than one player in every position."

"

Manchester City Players to Watch: Stevan Jovetic, Alvaro Negredo, Jesus Navas and Fernandinho

It remains to be seen if all four of City's summer signings will play against Milan, but you can bet all eyes will be on the quartet if they do appear on the pitch. 

Stevan Jovetic and Alvaro Negredo are an exciting pair to add to the attack—alongside Sergio Aguero and Dzeko, if everyone sticks around—and should give City one of the most dangerous forward groups around. 

Negredo is a quick and technically gifted winger, and should promise to be one of the top signings of the summer in all of Europe. He's a fun player to watch. 

Meanwhile, Fernandinho will look to crash the party in City's midfield, where he could form a nasty partnership with Yaya Toure. 

It's got to be fun to be a City fan these days after four excellent signings. All eyes will be on these four as they face AC Milan. 

AC Milan Player to Watch: Stephen El Shaarawy

This is a big season for Stephen El Shaarawy. He was mostly excellent for AC Milan in the last campaign, scoring 18 goals and adding six assists in all competitions. WhoScored.com gave him an excellent match rating of 7.3 for the season, and he was a central figure in AC Milan squeaking into the Champions League once more.

However, he floundered down the stretch, failing to score and picking up just one assist after February. Perhaps he wore down. Perhaps the addition of Balotelli forced him to adjust his game in a manner he wasn't comfortable with. It's hard to say. 

Whatever the case may be, he can't start this season off in a similar funk. El Shaarawy's early form will be a major concern for Milan. 

Prediction

AC Milan won't have its full squad, so the pick has to be Manchester City. With a stacked team, the Citizens would probably be favored anyway, but certainly will be while AC Milan is at less than full strength. 

Manchester City wins, 3-1.