BARNSLEY completed their pre-season schedule with a 4-0 loss at Premier League champions Manchester City on Saturday evening.
The hosts were 3-0 up at half-time, as they also missed a penalty before the break.
City added another after the break in the game that was played at their academy stadium.
City started several youngsters with no first team experience but also Joao Cancelo, Ruben Dias, Nathan Ake, Benjamin Mendy, Fernandinho and Riyad Mahrez who had been signed for at least £40million each.
Barnsley started in a 3-4-3 formation with Clarke Oduor at left wing-back while Dominik Frieser joined Cauley Woodrow and Carlton Morris in attack.
Herbie Kane, Jordan Williams, new signings Devante Cole and Obbi Oulare and the injured Mads Andersen were not involved.
It was a meeting of two former team-mates as Barnsley boss Markus Schopp played with City’s Pep Guardiola at Italian club Brescia in the early 2000s.
The Reds started brightly but were caught out a few times playing out from the back, with Jasper Moon and Liam Kitching losing the ball in key areas.
The first real chance of the game was taken by City midway through the first half as Mahrez burst down the right wing and crossed low for Samuel Edozie to tap into an empty net. That started a spell of three goals in 11 minutes.
The second goal was similar as Barnsley’s left side was opened up by world class players.
Mahrez played in Joao Cancelo on the right of the box and his low cross was tapped in by Ben Knight.
Three minutes later, it was 3-0 as Mahrez volleyed a left-wing cross by Mendy into the bottom right corner from 12 yards out. Replays showed the ball took a large deflection off Oduor.
Knight should have made it four in the 37th minute but sliced wide after Brad Collins shanked the ball straight to Mahrez who started another good move on the right.
Cauley Woodrow conceded a penalty for a foul on Cole Palmer after a short corner, but Palmer’s spot-kick was saved by Collins diving to his left.
Schopp brought on new signing Josh Benson and Ben Williams at half-time for Romal Palmer and Oduor then Toby Sibbick replaced Jasper Moon early in the second half due to injury. City introduced Ilkay Gundogan and Olekdandr Zinchenko.
Collins again kept the score down by denying Morgan Rogers who had gone through one-on-one then also kept out Mahrez’s follow-up.
Woodrow’s long-range shot was easily saved after good work by Ben Williams.
It was 4-0 midway through the second half when Mahrez’s cross from the right was played back across goal and backheeled by James McAtee then Ake turned it in.
BARNSLEY: Collins; Moon (Sibbick 53mins, Helik, Kitching; Brittain (Miller 63), Palmer (Benson HT) Styles, Oduor (B Williams HT); Frieser (Ritzmaier 82), Woodrow, Morris (Thompson 75).
Subs: Walton, Halme.
