Football: Manchester rivals United and City to meet in China in close-season friendly

The teams will meet at Beijing's Bird's Nest stadium. PHOTO: BLOOMBERG

LONDON (AFP) - Manchester United and Manchester City will face off in China in July as part of the International Champions Cup (ICC) friendly tournament, the English Premier League rivals announced on Wednesday.

The teams will meet at Beijing's Bird's Nest stadium on July 25, in what will be one of City's first matches under incoming manager Pep Guardiola, who replaces Manuel Pellegrini at the season's end.

United will also play Borussia Dortmund in Shanghai on July 22, with City taking on the German side in Shenzhen six days later.

"I think it's great news we're coming on tour to China," former United captain Nemanja Vidic told MUTV.

"We have so many followers in the country, over 100 million fans, and it's good to visit them and spend some time with them. They're really passionate about United."

Other teams involved in the ICC games include Barcelona, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Juventus, Paris Saint-Germain, Chelsea, Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur, as well as Premier League leaders Leicester City.

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