Bayern Munich 2-1 Aston Villa
Men
7 August 26
Aston Villa’s tour of Asia drew to a close with a narrow defeat against Bayern Munich in Hong Kong.
The German champions built up a two-goal lead at Kai Tak Stadium thanks to a goal in each half, with Kim Minjae heading them in front before Luis Díaz lashed home.
A superb strike from João Gomes pulled his side back into the contest and only a world-class save from Manuel Neuer denied Tammy Abraham an equaliser late on.
A hard-fought contest against one of Europe’s top sides offered Unai Emery’s team the ideal preparation ahead of the UEFA Super Cup versus Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday.
The curtain came down on the club’s Asia tour at the stunning Kai Tak Stadium, with its air-conditioned environment creating perfect conditions for a game against Champions League opposition.
Vincent Kompany’s team looked the more threatening in the opening stages and saw Arijon Ibrahimović pull a shot wide after Sacha Boey dispossessed Emi Buendía in midfield.
The sides were closely matched with chances at a premium until a smart piece of skill from Aleksandar Pavlović opened up space for a shot after 26 minutes. Marco Bizot saw it all the way and got down to parry the midfielder’s drive clear.
Munich came within inches of hitting the front soon after when Tom Bischof curled a shot narrowly past the far post.
The pressure eventually told after 37 minutes when Bischof swung a free-kick into the box for Minjae to glance past Bizot.
Villa enjoyed some promising passages of play but headed down the tunnel for half-time trailing by one.
Emery sent out an unchanged XI for the start of the second half, and they came close to equalising when Evann Guessand was just unable to turn Buendía’s inswinging free-kick home.
The changes began to be made as the game ticked past the hour mark, with Abraham and Lamare Bogarde the first to rise from Villa’s bench.
Bizot came to his side’s rescue in the 66th minute as Bayern hunted a second, producing a superb double save from Josip Stanišić and Ibrahimović.
The Dutchman was alert again minutes later to claw Bischof’s free-kick away as the midfielder attempted to whip it inside his near post.
Abraham cleared a drive from Díaz off the line, but the Colombian wouldn’t be denied for long.
With 73 minutes on the clock, the winger cut onto his right foot and sent a shot crashing off the underside of the bar and in to make it 2-0.
The Villa fans inside the stadium were cheering with seven minutes to play when Gomes sent a beautiful curling shot past Neuer with the outside of his right boot.
And the team in blue could have equalised seconds later when Abraham saw a header kept out by a one-handed save from the Bayern stopper.
Aston Villa: Bizot, Cash (Nedeljković 78’), Lindelöf, Torres (Mings 67’), Maatsen (Rowe 78’), Kamara (Bogarde 59’), Gomes, Buendía (Burrowes 78’), Hemmings, Guessand (Lynch 67’), Madjo (Abraham 59’).
Unused subs: Wright, Asemota, Carroll.
Bayern Munich: Neuer, Minjae (Ito 63’), Tah (Pavić 76’), Bischof, Brown (Assomo 76’), Ibrahimović, Boey (Rovere 80'), Laimer (Stanišić 46’), Binder, Cardozo (Díaz 63’), Pavlović (Palhinha 63’).
Unused subs: Ulreich, Podar-Strube, Urbig, Kimmich, Chávez, Bara, Manuba.
