Melbourne vs. Manchester City: Score and Reaction from 2015 Pre-Season Friendly

Manchester City triumphed over Melbourne City on Saturday, claiming a slim 1-0 win to continue their unbeaten start in pre-season following a fairly dull encounter in Queensland.

New £49 million signing Raheem Sterling was a spectator as Manchester City edged out their foes thanks to a late Samir Nasri winner, confirmed by the official Melbourne City Twitter account:

Manuel Pellegrini chose to field a mix of pedigree and potential in his starting lineup, while Melbourne manager John van't Schip also gave his youngsters a chance to impress against big opposition.

It was clear from the beginning who would enjoy the greater share in possession as Manchester City mounted an early assault, with Yaya Toure the main puppeteer spreading play around.

For the home side, Harry Novillo and Wade Dekker looked like some of the more lively characters, but Vincent Kompany led a defensive charge that was equal to anything thrown at it.

It wasn't until the 20th minute that City saw their first real chance on goal as Toure smacked a free-kick effort against the crossbar, per the official Manchester City Twitter account:

Following a cagey opening to proceedings, Melbourne City eventually settled and began stringing some decent sequences of play together—Paulo Retre nutmegging Toure is a moment he's sure to remember.

Stefan Mauk had a moment to forget not long after, however, flashing an easy chance over the crossbar instead of firing Melbourne into the lead, as shown by Back Page Football's Neil Sherwin:

That would prove to be the greatest opportunity of the half as both teams went in at the break scoreless, the Queensland crowd seeking a little more value in the second period.

Former Newcastle United, Aston Villa and Fulham centre-back Aaron Hughes took his leave at half-time, replaced by Melbourne captain Patrick Kisnorbo.

Jon Super/Associated Press

Early in the second half, Pellegrini's youngsters started to find their stride, and while the likes of Jesus Navas and Nasri looked dangerous, so too did Brandon Barker.

Sterling watched on from the sidelines as his new side struggled to carve open a great deal of chances in front of goal, with Bleacher Report UK making an attempt to summarise the new arrival's feelings:

The 18-year-old was replaced by Turkish signing Enes Unal, making his Manchester City debut, as Pellegrini sought to hand out some useful experience, but the opponent was standing firm.

Melbourne's walls eventually fell in the 86th minute, though, as Nasri's fervent knocking at the door finally yielded results with a classy volleyed finish, per Man City News:

It was a cruel blow for Melbourne to suffer so late after holding their own in front of an Australian crowd, but Manchester City's extra touch of class eventually fizzed to the top through Nasri's right boot.

The Citizens face Roma and Real Madrid next week as the Australian leg of this year's International Champions Cup gets underway.

The Premier League giants won't hold any grave concerns as a result of Saturday's rather flat display, but an improvement will be needed for the upcoming ICC examinations.

Toure looked particularly sharp against the minnows of Melbourne City, and his input will be critical to Pellegrini's side if they're to overcome next week's elite foes.