Atletico Madrid rode two second-half goals to take down European treble winners Manchester City 2-1 in their preseason match in Seoul on Sunday.
Substitutes Memphis Depay and Yannick Carrasco scored a goal apiece for the Spanish side at Seoul World Cup Stadium, in a summer match that had the intensity of a midseason continental showdown.
The kickoff, originally set for 8 p.m., was delayed by some 45 minutes because of torrential rain in the area.
This was the second of three preseason matches involving European clubs in South Korea this summer. On Thursday, Atletico Madrid lost 3-2 to Team K League, a squad featuring All-Stars voted in by fans and selected by coaches.
This coming Thursday, Paris Saint-Germain, the French giants that recently acquired South Korean midfielder Lee Kang-in, will play the K League 1 club Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors in the southeastern city of Busan.
Man City arrived in Seoul fresh off their European treble, having won the Premier League, the UEFA Champions League and FA Cup titles.
Forward Erling Haaland took the Premier League by storm in his first season in England, capturing the Golden Boot with a league-record 36 goals in 35 matches. The Norwegian forward also won the European Golden Shoe as the top scorer in Europe.
The teams were goalless after the opening half, despite trading some quality looks.
Two of the biggest stars on the field, Haaland for Man City and Antoine Griezmann for Atletico Madrid, each had a decent chance from close range. Then in the 27th, Julian Alvarez sent a good effort for Man City straight to goalkeeper Jan Oblak. In the next minute, Alvaro Morata soared to meet Samuel Lino's cross in the goalmouth, only to see the header sail high above the target.
Phil Foden nearly put Man City on the board, but his effort from just inside the box rolled wide at the half-hour mark.
Atletico almost scored in the 34th minute when Lino's pass found Thomas Lemar with a gaping net in front of him, but the French midfielder couldn't quite corral the ball and lost his balance.
The two clubs each changed their goalkeeper to begin the second half. The new custodian for Man City, Stefan Ortega, made his presence felt by denying Samuel Lino on a close-range header in the 48th minute.
Man City came within inches of grabbing the lead, as Kyle Walker struck the crossbar in the 52nd minute after the loose ball following a free kick trickled out toward the top of the box.
Man City made wholesale changes in the 56th minute, subbing in eight new players. And one of the subs, Mateo Kovacic, almost scored instantly, missing the target high after a goalmouth scramble.
Atletico Madrid changed nearly their entire outfield side, and their new players started dominating the run of play.
It paid off in the first goal by Depay in the 66th minute, with fellow sub Angel Correa providing the assist for the right-footed shot from the edge of the box.
Depay almost picked up his second goal in the 73rd. His initial shot, set up by Marcos Llorente on a fast break, was kept out by Ortega, and Depay's volley off the rebound bounced over the target.
But Atletico Madrid doubled their lead in the next minute, with Yannick Carrasco's great individual effort. The Belgian midfielder danced past Rico Lewis and sprinted toward the middle to fire home a shot past Ortega.
Man City salvaged a goal in the 85th minute on Ruben Dias' header.
Man City's superstar midfielder Kevin De Bruyne did not play, though he drew loud cheers every time he was shown on the stadium scoreboard. De Bruyne has not returned to full training since limping off the field during the Champions League final last month.
Source: Yonhap News Agency