At the training ground, Man City's players were divided into two groups for an internal match.
One group used a 4-3-3 formation, Man City's signature tactic, with Agüero as the center forward and Di Maria and Sánchez on the wings. This was also Man City's standard lineup, except that Agüero had replaced Su Dong.
The other group used a 3-4-3 formation. The back line consisted of Javi Martinez, Pepe, and David Luiz, while the front three were Hazard, Džeko, and Douglas Costa, with David Silva supporting them in midfield.
Since it was an internal match, Guardiola merely arranged two different tactical approaches, explained his ideas clearly, and let the players perform freely on the pitch. This greatly improved their enthusiasm.
The two groups played with complete freedom, and the match opened up considerably. No one showed any intention of holding back.
Anyone could see that this was a test from head coach Guardiola.
Whether they were new signings or established players, everyone was giving it everything. They wanted to leave a deep impression on the head coach in this match and, ideally, secure a starting position during the summer training period, so they would not have to spend the season on the bench.
With that in mind, both groups played especially hard.
Every player was doing everything he could to show what he was capable of.
There was no need to mention the players up front. Whenever they got the ball, they all did their best to play to their strengths.
That also made the match highly entertaining, earning frequent and enthusiastic applause from the sidelines.
Su Dong did not take part in the match that day. Instead, he stood on the sidelines with the coaching staff.
This also showed Su Dong's unique and transcendent status at Man City.