Football
Arindam Rej, Man United Correspondent 8y

Antonio Valencia: Man United relishing Man City preseason clash

Antonio Valencia says Manchester United are desperate to defeat rivals Manchester City in their International Champions Cup clash in Beijing on July 25 despite the match taking place in preseason.

Valencia, 30, has already had a busy summer so far, having been part of Ecuador's Copa America squad.

Ecuador were knocked out by United States in the quarterfinals of the competition earlier this month, when Valencia played on the right wing, leaving the Red Devils player to focus on domestic matters again.

The Manchester derby in China will be the first meeting between Jose Mourinho and Pep Guardiola following their respective appointments at United and City this summer.

It will be United's second preseason game, following on from the match against Borussia Dortmund in Shanghai on July 22.

"It's a derby and everyone wants to win those games for the supporters that are there," Valencia told United's official website.

"Let's hope it's an exciting occasion for everyone over there and they can have a lot of fun watching.

"It's always important to prepare well and get fit and it's even better when you are up against two sides like those [Dortmund and City]."

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