Luis Diaz made his mark for Bayern Munich as the German champions edged Aston Villa in an entertaining pre-season friendly in Hong Kong.
Bayern eventually ran out 2-1 winners, with Diaz coming off the bench to score a superb goal and give Vincent Kompany’s side a two-goal cushion before Villa mounted a late comeback.
The German champions opened the scoring in the first half when Kim Min-jae reacted quickest inside the box to fire home from close range.
Bayern then extended their advantage after the break through Diaz. The Colombian winger produced a moment of real quality, curling the ball beyond the Villa goalkeeper and into the net via the underside of the crossbar.
Villa refused to give up and eventually found a way back into the game. Joao Gomes, who joined the club from local rivals Wolves in a £38m deal last month, pulled one back with a composed finish from just outside the penalty area.
The Premier League side pushed for an equaliser in the closing stages, with Tammy Abraham coming close. However, his header was brilliantly kept out by Bayern captain and goalkeeper Manuel Neuer.
Despite the victory, Bayern were without several of their biggest names. Regular starters Michael Olise and Harry Kane did not make the trip as they continue to recover from their involvement in the World Cup.
Kompany was particularly pleased with the performance of the younger players who were given an opportunity in Hong Kong.
“I told the players honestly that I was impressed because you know who’s there and you know who’s not there,” the Bayern boss said.
“It’s difficult to go into these games and still look [like] the Bayern Munich that we can be.”
For Villa, the match provided another valuable test ahead of their first major competitive fixture of the new campaign.
Europa League holders Aston Villa will face Paris Saint-Germain in the UEFA Super Cup in Salzburg on Wednesday, with kick-off scheduled for 20:00 BST.
Defender Pau Torres believes the meeting with Bayern was exactly the kind of challenge Villa needed before the European showpiece.
“It was a really good game, a really good test for us to prepare for the final next week,” Torres said.
“It’s always good to play against one team like them [Bayern]. It’s always good to play during the pre-season to test ourselves and to know, more or less, in which level we are.”
Villa may have left Hong Kong on the wrong side of the result, but the performance offered valuable minutes and a clear indication of what still needs to be sharpened before their Super Cup showdown.
