Manchester City vs Bayern

The next day, at 2:00 p.m. local time, the match between Manchester City U19 and Bayern Munich U19 kicked off.

As planned, Kenneth was on the bench for this game. From the first minute, City dominated possession and launched attacks on Bayern's goal.

In the 6th minute, Bossaerts sent a through ball to Pozo, who sprinted forward, skillfully passing Bayern's full-back and entering the penalty area. He ended his solo run with a shot, but it narrowly missed the target.

Shortly after, Adarabioyo dispossessed a Bayern forward and passed forward to Tasende, who turned and moved upfield, connecting with J. Byrne. Byrne completed a one-two with Thierry Ambrose, breaking into the penalty area, but Bayern's center-back made a perfectly timed tackle, halting City's advance.

Despite City's dominance and frequent chances, the first goal didn't come until the 26th minute. Brandon Barker and Maffeo combined on the left side, with Brandon driving into the penalty area to receive a pass from Maffeo. With defenders focused on Thierry, Brandon cut back to Byrne, who struck the ball into the bottom right corner. The German goalkeeper couldn't reach it, and City went up 1-0.

"They're not as strong as I expected," Celina commented.

Kenneth understood Celina's sentiment; he hadn't recognized any big names on Bayern's U19 squad, hoping to see at least one or two well-known players.

"Maybe their academy just isn't that crucial for Bayern," Iheanacho laughed softly, adding, "The academies of the other 17 Bundesliga clubs are probably more important."

Kenneth thought about reminding him that, until Guardiola's era, City also rarely used their own academy players.

The match continued in a similar pattern. Bayern managed a few chances, but City maintained control. In the 43rd minute, Maffeo crossed to Thierry Ambrose, who headed the ball forward to Pozo. Pozo outpaced Bayern's defenders, took the ball close to goal, rounded the goalkeeper, and scored, putting City up 2-0. This score held until halftime.

After the 15-minute break, Vieira subbed in Kenneth, Celina, and Angelino at the start of the second half. These changes further strengthened City's performance on the field.

Angelino scored City's third goal in the 60th minute, followed by Celina in the 66th, both assisted by Kenneth. Kenneth added his name to the scoresheet with a long-range strike in the 77th minute and another goal in the 85th minute from a quick team play.

Bayern managed to pull two goals back in the 80th and 90+2 minutes, but City came away with a resounding 8-2 victory—a scoreline that reminded Kenneth of a certain match in the future.

After the game, Vieira led the U19 team back to the hotel.

For his impressive performance, Kenneth earned a score of 8.5, recording two goals and two assists. He was awarded three attribute points, which he allocated to stamina, natural fitness, and tackling.

This match reminded Kenneth of the importance of natural fitness. The higher a player's natural fitness, the faster they recover from fatigue and injuries—essential for enduring a packed schedule.

After arriving at the hotel, Kenneth took a shower and then took a nap. Later in the afternoon, he woke up and played some rounds of *League of Legends* with Maffeo, then returned to his studies.

At 18:00 BST, Manchester City's senior team headed to the Allianz Arena. Since this wasn't at Etihad Stadium, the U19 team couldn't receive tickets for the game. However, Kenneth, Iheanacho, Pablo Maffeo, and Patrick Vieira bought their own tickets, joining City fans in the away section alongside about 200 other supporters.

The game kicked off at 19:45 BST. With Manuel Pellegrini serving a touchline ban, his assistant managed from the sideline. City started in a 4-4-2 formation, featuring Joe Hart as goalkeeper, with Bacary Sagna, Kompany, Demichelis, and Clichy in defense. Midfield consisted of Jesus Navas, Fernandinho, Yaya Toure, and David Silva, while Dzeko and Nasri played up front. Bayern fielded a 4-3-3 with Neuer in goal, Rafinha, Jerome Boateng, Benatia, and Bernat in defense, Lahm, Alonso, and Alaba in midfield, and Muller, Lewandowski, and Gotze leading the attack.

From the beginning, Bayern dominated possession, while City adopted a compact mid-block defense, waiting for counterattack opportunities. Pellegrini's approach mirrored that of many managers facing Pep Guardiola: patiently holding back and looking for counterattack chances.

City's defense held strong against Bayern's control of the ball, making it difficult for Bayern to find gaps. However, Lewandowski's presence as a target man kept the danger level high. Unfortunately for City, several of their counterattack attempts failed before they could fully develop, as Bayern quickly applied a counter-press to recover the ball, leading to several misplaced passes from City.

Lewandowski and Muller managed several headers on goal, but Joe Hart was in excellent form, making several key saves to keep City level. The first half ended scoreless.

During halftime, Kenneth hurried to the restroom, finding a line as many fans took the break to use the facilities. As he returned to the stands, he happened to pass a young girl heading toward Bayern's locker room. Oddly, Bayern's staff allowed her to enter, but Kenneth simply shook his head and rejoined the crowd.

The second half remained a battle of endurance. Bayern continued struggling to penetrate City's defense, while City couldn't capitalize on their chances. Jerome Boateng, once a City player and now a key defender for Bayern, played impressively, consistently disrupting City's attacks with well-timed tackles and winning duels against City's forwards.

In the 59th minute, City substituted Samir Nasri with James Milner. Nasri had been practically invisible in this match, with minimal contributions.

After a while, City finally launched a promising counterattack. Kenneth was ready to celebrate as David Silva found an open shot, but unfortunately, Silva couldn't capitalize on the opportunity.

Bayern's attacks grew increasingly dangerous. Gotze moved freely in the penalty box and attempted a shot, but Joe Hart managed to deflect the former Dortmund player's attempt.

Both teams created chances, but no goals came. Pep Guardiola brought on Shaqiri and Pizarro to replace Muller and Gotze in the 79th and 88th minutes. In the 90th minute, Bayern, pressing City deep into their own box, finally broke through. Lewandowski launched a high ball, which bounced down to Boateng. Jerome Boateng took the shot, and Joe Hart couldn't react in time, allowing the ball to find the net. Bayern fans filling Allianz Arena erupted in celebration.

City's players were visibly deflated, having conceded in the 90th minute. With no time left to equalize, the final whistle blew just minutes later.

"Let's join the team in the locker room," said Vieira to Kenneth, Maffeo, and Iheanacho.

Kenneth went with the others to City's locker room. Unlike the usual upbeat and relaxed atmosphere, it was somber.

While Pellegrini was giving his pep talk in the locker room, Kenneth stepped outside. Once again, he noticed the young girl he'd seen earlier, now chatting with Guardiola.

"She's Guardiola's daughter," Maffeo commented, suddenly appearing beside him.

"Hmm?" Kenneth looked at him, raising an eyebrow.

"So… you interested?" Maffeo teased.

Kenneth shot him a look. "What? No! She's like… super young."

Maffeo smirked. "Kenneth, we're 'super young' too, remember?"

"Still," Kenneth replied, shaking his head. "This feels way too complicated. I'd rather focus on the game."

"Good call," Maffeo laughed. "You'd need a playbook just to figure out if you're onside."

Kenneth rolled his eyes. "Let's just get back to the team."

They both chuckled and headed back inside, ready to join their teammates.

They boarded the first team's bus and returned to the hotel.