De Bruyne and Alvarez strike new partnership to show Man City Plan B without Erling Haaland

Manchester City fans will have to wait for Erling Haaland's debut as the Norwegian was left on the bench in the friendly vs Club America in Houston.

With Haaland's first appearance the main attraction at the NRG Stadium, he was named on the bench and did not take part in City's warm-ups after arriving in casual gear rather than the usual training kit worn by the rest of the squad.

With a questionable pitch replacing the usual NFL turf at the home of the Houston Texans, Haaland was not risked, allowing a brilliant performance from Kevin De Bruyne and an eyecatching debut from Julian Alvarez to show that they will be just fine on any occasions Haaland will be absent this season.

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If anything, Haaland's absence could prove to be useful in the long-term, as City showcased a new tactical approach involving new signing Alvarez that they may get few more chances to practice in a match setting.

It was a high-pressing approach evident straight from kick-off, with De Bruyne pushing up from his central midfield position and leading the press, supported by the lively Alvarez. When Stefan Ortega pushed away a shot from a scramble in the box, it was De Bruyne who was on the front foot leading the charge again from one end of the pitch to the other.

Jack Grealish was skipping past the defence with ease - to the point where Emilio Lara earned a booking for a cynical hack at Grealish after he'd sped past four of his teammates.

With Grealish and De Bruyne looking to drive forward, and Alvarez doing all the running through the middle, there were spaces for Club America to exploit. Luckily for City, their composure deserted them in front of