Maresca reveals comeback secret against Bournemouth: Why did City struggle until the 90th minute?

In the opening round of the new Premier League season, the reigning champions Manchester Cityfaced unexpected resistance at home. After falling behind, the 'Citizens' secured a 2-1 comeback victory over Bournemouth thanks to late pressure and heroics.

After the match, the team's new head coach, Enzo Maresca shared his analysis, emphasizing that his players dominated both halves of the game.

"We didn't let the opponent take a shot": First half analysis

The Italian tactician expressed satisfaction with his team's performance despite conceding a goal:

"To be honest, even in the first half, we played very well until we conceded. We didn't allow the opponent a single shot, while we created three or four clear scoring chances. Then they scored, and things got a bit difficult. But overall, we fully deserved the win", said Maresca.

Bournemouth's fatigue and the last-minute victory

The coach attributed the visitors' deep defensive line in the second half to City's ball possession:

• Opponent fatigue: "In the second half, they dropped back a bit. This was partly because we had the ball for most of the first half and they had to run constantly";

• Maresca's critique: The expert noted that the match result could have been decided earlier: "We didn't need to fight this hard for 90 minutes; perhaps we should have secured the three points much earlier".

Next challenge: Trip to Crystal Palace

Having started the new season with an important 3 points, the 'Citizens' are beginning preparations for the next match:

• Next match: Manchester Citywill play their round 2 match on August 28 away against London's Crystal Palace club.