Riyad Mahrez delighted to make his Manchester City start

Algeria international Riyad Mahrez has revealed his delight after making his friendly debut for Manchester City during the International Champions Cup clash against Borussia Dortmund. The game was tightly contested between both sides but ultimately, Dortmund ran victors after scoring the only goal of the match via the penalty spot.

Following the game, Mahrez said that he was pleased to have got some minutes under his belt after an extended break from competitive action, he said: “I feel very good. It was a good game. We had some good moments. The most important thing was to get some minutes, to run and try to play the way City plays. I think we played a good game. It was a good start.”

The Premier League holders are scheduled to begin their title defence with an away game against Arsenal next month and Mahrez expects a tough game considering the Gunners are now under the tutelage of a new head coach, he added: “It will be a tough game. A new manager with new ideas, so it will be different to the Arsenal we know and used to play. It will be a tough game but it is in three weeks’ time, so we have time to think about it.”

As things stand, the Mancunian giants have made just a solitary signing during the ongoing transfer window but they could intensify the player pursuit in the coming weeks with Guardiola previously confirming that the club would seek to replace the departed Yaya Toure. Jorginho was highlighted as the prime transfer option for much of the transfer window but the deal can no longer happen after league rivals Chelsea hijacked the deal at the final hurdle.

Following the Dortmund game, City are scheduled to take on Liverpool and Bayern Munich in the International Champions Cup before facing off against Chelsea in the Community Shield next month.