Aston Villa ended their Asian pre-season tour with a 2-1 defeat against Bayern Munich in Hong Kong, despite João Gomes giving Unai Emery’s side hope with a late goal.
Kim Min-jae and Luis Díaz put the German champions in control before Villa produced their strongest spell of the contest and pushed Manuel Neuer into a superb late save.
Emery made five changes for Villa’s toughest test of pre-season, with Boubacar Kamara returning to the starting line-up alongside Gomes in midfield.
Pau Torres, Ian Maatsen, Brian Madjo and George Hemmings also came into the side at Kai Tak Sports Park.
Bayern carried the greater threat during the first half and Marco Bizot was required to keep Villa level, producing a fine double save to deny Josip Stanisic and Arijon Ibrahimovic.
The breakthrough eventually arrived after 37 minutes.
Tom Bischof delivered an inswinging cross and Kim rose to glance his header beyond Bizot, giving Vincent Kompany’s side a deserved advantage before the interval.
Bayern Munich 2-1 Aston Villa as Gomes sparks late response
Emery turned to his bench during the second half and Tammy Abraham made an immediate defensive contribution, clearing Luis Díaz’s effort off the line.
The Colombian did not have to wait long for another opportunity.
Díaz doubled Bayern’s lead in the 73rd minute, driving a powerful finish beyond Bizot and in off the underside of the crossbar.
Villa could easily have allowed the game to drift away from them, but their response was encouraging.
Gomes reduced the deficit with eight minutes remaining. The summer signing found space around the edge of the Bayern penalty area and beat Neuer to score his first goal for Villa.
The Brazilian’s impact provides another positive sign for Emery after joining from Wolves earlier this summer. ReadAstonVilla previously examined what João Gomes can bring to Villa’s rebuilt midfield, with his energy and ability to carry possession adding a different dimension alongside Kamara.
Villa then came close to completing the comeback.
Bradley Burrowes delivered from wide and Abraham found himself free in the Bayern penalty area, but his close-range header was kept out by an excellent Neuer save.
There was no equaliser, leaving Bayern to complete a 2-1 victory.
The defeat nevertheless provided Emery with a considerably tougher examination than Villa’s earlier matches in Asia. Kamara gained another important block of minutes following his injury, while Gomes again demonstrated why Villa invested heavily to bring him to Villa Park.
Villa face Paris Saint-Germain in the UEFA Super Cup on Wednesday, when Emery will need his side to turn encouraging spells against Bayern into a more complete performance.
Aston Villa starting XI
Bizot; Cash, Lindelöf, Pau Torres, Maatsen; Kamara, João Gomes; Buendía, Guessand, Hemmings; Madjo.
Goals
Bayern Munich 1-0 Aston Villa: Kim Min-jae, 37′
Bayern Munich 2-0 Aston Villa: Luis Díaz, 73′
Bayern Munich 2-1 Aston Villa: João Gomes, 82′
