Bayern Munich vs. Manchester City: Score, Reaction to 2016 Pre-Season Friendly

New Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola failed to win on his return to the Allianz Arena, as Bayern Munich handed the Citizens a 1-0 defeat on Wednesday in a pre-season friendly.    

Bayern dominated the first half, before City got the better of play after the break as both teams made a multitude of changes, and Erdal Ozturk gave the hosts the lead against the run of play with 15 minutes left.

The score barely mattered, however, as both managers were mainly focused on building their squads, and City's young guns showed plenty of promise against a strong Bavarian squad.

As Bayern English shared, Der FCB manager Carlo Ancelotti handed Julian Green another start in a team that featured a handful of superstars:

City mostly fielded back-ups and youngsters, with goalkeeper Willy Caballero and Aleksandar Kolarov the top names on the teamsheet.

The Bavarians welcomed Guardiola back in style before kick-off:

Both teams started with a surprising intensity, despite this being just City's first pre-season match, and Juan Bernat nearly picked out Green with a superb cross after just a few minutes. Oleksandr Zinchenko, one of City's new signings, had a shot blocked.

Simon Bajkowski of the Manchester Evening News didn't like the Citizens' chances after the first minutes:

Despite their lack of experience and the wide gap in established talent, City were not afraid to press high up the pitch. Bayern, who are used to such tactics, didn't have too many problems passing out of the press at first, but as the half wore on, City grew more comfortable.

Matthias Schrader/Associated Press

Caballero had to make a fine stop to save a close-range shot from David Alaba after 15 minutes, after some nice interplay with Franck Ribery. The Frenchman found much success against the attack-minded Kolarov early.

Kelechi Iheanacho tried his luck from distance, firing a shot over the bar, before Caballero made yet another fantastic save, this time denying Green.

Even Bayern's official Twitter account couldn't help but notice the veteran's strong play:

Ribery and Green combined well to set up yet another chance after 35 minutes, but predictably, Caballero was there to keep his bid for a clean sheet alive.

The pace of the match dropped after that chance, with Bayern controlling the ball and City aiming for the counter, and no major incidents occurred before half-time.

During the break, the Manchester Evening News' James Robson thought one man did everything he could to impress:

Wilfried Bony made a strong impression early in the second half, combining well and weighing on the Bayern defence. That's a good sign for the Ivory Coast international, who was little more than an afterthought last season.

Fernandinho threatened with a left-footed volley that missed the target, as City started to take control of the match. The multitude of changes both teams made obviously helped, but it was still surprising to see the Citizens' young guns hold their own so easily.

Matthias Schrader/Associated Press

But chances were rare after the break. Bony should have done better with a header from close range after a solid cross from Angelino, one of the standouts for the Citizens. 

And it was Bayern who took the lead after 75 minutes, as a deflected shot from Ozturk beat replacement goalkeeper Angus Gunn. Per Bajkowski, the goal came against the run of play:

Substitute Yaya Toure nearly hit back with a free-kick that flew just wide, and Bayern's Daniel Hagler drew a fine save from Gunn with a long-range effort before the final whistle.

Per Bayern's official Twitter account, Guardiola said it was good to return to the Allianz Arena, while counterpart Ancelotti was happy with how his first match at the stadium turned out:

While Guardiola failed to win his first match in charge of City, there were plenty of positives to take from this contest. The high press and defensive intensity he brings were already visible, and several players, including Bony and Angelino, stood out.

City will meet rivals Manchester United in the 2016 International Champions Cup on Monday, while Bayern will take on SpVgg Landshut on Saturday.