Aston Villa’s 2-1 defeat against Bayern Munich provided Unai Emery with one final major warning before competitive football begins.
Villa eventually troubled the German champions and João Gomes gave them hope, but Aston Villa v PSG will demand that level of aggression considerably earlier in Wednesday’s UEFA Super Cup.
Bayern controlled much of Friday’s friendly in Hong Kong and deservedly established a two-goal advantage through Kim Min-jae and Luis Díaz.
Villa’s response was encouraging. Gomes reduced the deficit late on before Tammy Abraham almost found an equaliser, only for Manuel Neuer to produce an excellent close-range save.
That final spell demonstrated that Villa could hurt elite opposition. The concern for Emery is how long it took them to reach it.
Aston Villa v PSG cannot start like Bayern defeat
Villa struggled to consistently threaten Neuer during the opening hour.
Bayern were able to spend long periods controlling possession and forcing Emery’s side to defend deeper than they would have wanted. Marco Bizot was required to make important saves before Kim eventually opened the scoring.
There is no great concern in losing a pre-season match against the German champions.
The performance becomes more significant because of what comes next.
UEFA confirms Aston Villa face Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain in the Super Cup on Wednesday, with a trophy on the line in Salzburg.
PSG will punish passive spells far more severely than most of Villa’s pre-season opponents.
Emery therefore needs the side which finished strongly against Bayern to appear from the opening whistle.
Gomes gives Emery something to build around
The biggest positive was João Gomes.
The Brazilian started alongside Boubacar Kamara and continued to compete even while Bayern controlled the game. His goal arrived when Villa finally began playing with greater purpose around the opposition penalty area.
Gomes found space outside the box and produced a composed finish beyond Neuer.
His energy provides Emery with a potentially important weapon against PSG. Kamara can offer positional security behind him, allowing Gomes greater freedom to press, carry possession and arrive higher up the pitch.
ReadAstonVilla’s pre-season guide highlighted Bayern as Villa’s final Asian test before the Super Cup. Friday therefore offered a useful indication of how Emery’s rebuilt midfield responds against one of Europe’s strongest sides.
The answer was mixed, but there was enough in the closing stages to provide encouragement.
Tammy Abraham also gives Villa a decision
Abraham’s return was another useful development.
The striker produced a goal-line clearance shortly after coming on and then almost scored at the other end, meeting Bradley Burrowes’ delivery before Neuer denied him.
His physical presence gave Villa a different focal point during their best attacking spell.
Emery must now decide how much weight to place on those final 15 minutes when selecting his side against PSG. Ollie Watkins remains the obvious first-choice striker when available, but Abraham has at least reminded his manager that he can alter the shape of a difficult game.
Villa’s younger substitutes also injected energy at a stage when Bayern might have expected to comfortably see out the result.
A 2-1 friendly defeat will quickly be forgotten.
The useful part for Emery is the contrast between Villa’s difficult opening periods and their aggressive finish. Aston Villa v PSG will offer far less room for a slow start.
Villa have now seen the level required.
On Wednesday, they must reach it considerably sooner.
