FC Bayern played its second friendly match of the Audi Summer Tour in Asia. The German record champions defeated reigning Europa League champions Aston Villa 2-1 in Hong Kong.
Following their 2-1 victory over Jeju SK FC, the match against Aston Villa marked the second friendly of the Asian tour and, at the same time, the first real test of their ongoing preseason preparations.
In contrast to the match against Jeju, Bayern’s starting lineup consisted largely of established pros such as Neuer, Tah, and Pavlovic, with only a few academy players. Only Tim Binder and Maycon Cardozo made the starting lineup.
Aston Villa also had several regulars, such as Emiliano Buendia and Matty Cash, on the field from the start.
Kim secures a well-deserved halftime lead
Bayern got off to a strong start, pressing the opponent early and winning several high balls. Arjion Ibrahimovic had the first shot on goal—and the first real chance of the match—just three minutes in. Brown’s cross was cleared into the center, where Ibrahimovic attempted a first-time volley, but it was deflected for a corner.
Ibrahimovic had the next chance as well. His left-footed shot in the 13th minute went just wide of the far post.
In the 26th minute, Pavlovic tried his luck from outside the box after a nice dribble, forcing Aston Villa’s goalkeeper Bizot to make the first real save of the game.
Shortly afterward, Bischof also took a shot from distance, but it narrowly missed the goal (29).
In the 37th minute, the German record champions were finally rewarded for their dominance. Tom Bischof delivered a sharp free kick from the left flank right in front of the goal, where Minjae Kim made a perfect run and headed the ball into the far corner for a 1-0 lead, which held until halftime.
Diaz extends the lead
The second half followed a similar pattern to the first: Bayern controlled the ball and their opponents for long stretches, largely thanks to their frequently successful counter-pressing.
In the 57th minute, Aston Villa finally had their first good chance. Much like Bayern’s goal, a free kick from the left half of the field flew into the five-meter box, where Guessand got a shot off but narrowly missed the goal.
In the 66th minute, Bayern struck again: Substitute Diaz broke through on the left and passed to fellow substitute Stanisic, whose shot was blocked by another substitute, Wright, with a foot save. The rebound fell to Ibrahimovic, who was also denied by the quick-reacting Aston Villa goalkeeper.
Just five minutes later, Diaz created another dangerous opportunity. After a corner kick, he pounced on the loose ball, took a step forward, and fired a low shot toward the far corner, where an Aston Villa defender was able to clear it off the line (71′).
Just three minutes later, Diaz was rewarded for his strong performance. Once again, the Colombian came down the left, cut inside, and fired the ball from the corner of the penalty area under the crossbar to make it 2–0 (74′).
Bayern Passes Tough Test
Just when it seemed the game was all but decided, Joao Gomes scored a consolation goal in the 84th minute with the first truly dangerous shot on Neuer’s goal.
Just one minute later, Neuer made his first big save. After a cross, Abraham got a header off from close range. Neuer reacted brilliantly and prevented the equalizer (85′).
After that, the Munich side was primarily called upon defensively and held on to their 2-1 lead, which ultimately stood.
With this victory, FC Bayern not only won the first real test of their preseason but also ensured a successful conclusion to the 2026 Audi Summer Tour. The German record champions will head back to Munich tomorrow, Saturday.