Pre-season: Stevan Jovetic 'will stay' as Manchester City ease to 5-1 friendly victory over Mario Balotelli's AC Milan on USA tour

Former City forward was also spotted posing for a selfie with pitch invaders

Samuel Stevens
Monday 28 July 2014 12:40 BST
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Stevan Jovetic celebrates scoring against AC Milan
Stevan Jovetic celebrates scoring against AC Milan

Stevan Jovetic scored twice as Manchester City continued their pre-season tour of the United States by dismantling AC Milan in Pittsburgh.

The former Fiorentina striker endured a difficult season at Eastlands as Sergio Aguero and Alvaro Negredo cemented their places in the starting line-up.

Manuel Pellegrini's side went on the lift the Premier League trophy, as well as the Capital One Cup, as Jovetic made only the occasional cameo appearance from the bench.

The £22m Montenegrin striker, who has been linked with a return to Italy, bagged a brace as City demolished Milan at the Heinz Field Stadium.

The English champions were four goals ahead after just 26 minutes as Scott Sinclair, Jesus Navas and Kelechi Iheanacho added to Jovetic's opener.

 

"Stevan is working well with us," said Pellegrini before the clash. "He is a very important player for our team. Maybe there are a lot of rumours about his future but Stevan will stay with us."

Milan came into the game on the back of a disastrous Serie A campaign which saw them finish in eighth place and a 3-0 reverse to Olympiacos in their International Champions Cup opener last week.

City were without the likes of Yaya Toure and David Silva but still looked every bit the European force which they hope to become. While Champions League success continues to evade them, Pellegrini's men look a good bet to retain their domestic crown.

They took an early lead in the 12th minute as Jesus Navas slid a ball through to Jovetic who breezed past Milan defender Alex before converting into Michael Agazzi's net.

Scott Sinclair, wearing Manchester City's new away shirt, scores against AC Milan

It took just two minutes for the Citizens to double their advantage as Sinclair, another player who has struggled to make his mark in Manchester, capitalised on Adil Rami's mistake to loop the ball into the top corner.

Mario Balotelli, who left City in 2013, was forced to watch on from the bench in the first half.

His replacement at Eastlands, Navas, then notched in a third via a deflection off Mattia De Sciglio after an audacious bicycle-kick. The Milan misery continued as trialist Iheanacho then scored his second strike in as many games to put City out of reach.

Balotelli was introduced after the break, delayed by a thunderstorm, and saw his first real effort chalked off for offside. Moments later, Jovetic soon ended any hopes of a renaissance in fortunes, however, with his second and City's fifth.

Mario Balotelli poses for a selfie with pitch invaders during Milan's 5-1 defeat to Manchester City

Rather predictably, though, it was Balotelli who stole the headlines after posing for a selfie with a pair of pitch invaders before they were hauled away by stewards.

After the game, Pellegrini was tight lipped about the club's move for Porto defender Eliaquim Mangala despite leaked footage showing the player completing a medical in Manchester.

"I think it's important not to talk about things that are not 100 per cent, so I'll keep my opinion about that," he said.

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