Manchester United and Manchester City to meet in Houston

LONDON: Manchester United and Manchester City will face off in a friendly in Houston, Texas in July in the first Manchester derby on foreign soil, the two clubs announced on Tuesday. Jose Mourinho’s United and Pep Guardiola’s City will meet at Houston’s NRG Stadium on July 20 as part of the International Champions Cup friendly tournament. They had been due to play each other in Beijing, China last year, but the game was called off due to concerns about the pitch. “The Manchester derby is one of the world’s most iconic games,” said City chief executive Ferran Soriano in a press release. “We are very excited to play it in front of our passionate American fans. There are so many great memories from this game in history and we can’t wait to create some new ones in Houston.” United last played in Houston in 2010, when they beat an MLS All-Stars team 5-2. “The game in Houston gives our large US family of fans another chance to see the team play live,” said United’s executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward. “The last time we played in Houston, over 70,000 packed the stadium and we are looking forward to entertaining them again.” United’s pre-season tour of the United States also features games against the LA Galaxy, Real Salt Lake, Barcelona and Real Madrid. City will play Real Madrid in Los Angeles and tackle Tottenham Hotspur in Nashville. — AFP