Manchester City cruised to a 3-1 victory over Atletico Madrid in a pre-season friendly held in Seoul, with Antoine Semenyo among the standout performers as manager Enzo Maresca's tactical blueprint began to take shape.

The result offered an encouraging early indication that Maresca's methods are gaining traction within the squad, with City looking cohesive and purposeful throughout the contest.

Semenyo was the most eye-catching figure on the pitch, delivering a performance that underlined his potential and gave supporters plenty to look forward to ahead of the new campaign.

The friendly in the South Korean capital provided City with valuable match sharpness against a well-organised Atletico Madrid side, whose single goal offered only a brief moment of resistance against a dominant Manchester City display.

Maresca, who took charge of the club ahead of this pre-season, will have drawn significant confidence from how his players absorbed and executed his ideas over the course of the 90 minutes. The tactical patterns he has been drilling on the training ground were visible in City's movement and structure.

Pre-season results carry only so much weight, but a convincing win over a side of Atletico Madrid's calibre — even in a friendly setting — sends a clear message about the direction in which this Manchester City squad is heading under new leadership.