Aston Villa concluded their pre-season preparations with a 2-1 defeat to Borussia Monchengladbach in Germany, a match that saw several squad players given opportunities to impress. Unai Emery made eight changes to the side that faced Paris Saint-Germain, with only Marco Bizot, Victor Lindelof and George Hemmings retaining their places.
Gladbach took the lead in the 30th minute when Franck Honorat raced in behind on the right before squaring for Tim Kleindienst to tap in. Villa failed to create a goalscoring opportunity in the first half and found themselves two goals down when Kleindienst headed in from a corner shortly after breaking the deadlock.
Second-Half Changes and Injury Concerns
James Wright, Matty Cash, Ian Maatsen, Boubacar Kamara, John McGinn and Emi Buendia were introduced at the start of the second half. Emery's injury woes were worsened when Tammy Abraham went off injured following an awkward slip early in the second half. McGinn then halved the deficit, finishing from close range after being picked out by Buendia.
Villa should have equalised when Jamal Jimoh-Aloba was sent through on goal, but he couldn't convert.
Player Ratings: Defence and Midfield
Marco Bizot made a couple of standard saves before being helplessly beaten as Kleindienst tapped in from close range. He was rated 6.
Kosta Nedeljkovic came into the starting XI to give Matty Cash a rest after playing in the UEFA Super Cup. He made a crucial block on Robin Hack which probably prevented a third goal going in before the break. Rated 6.
Victor Lindelof continued in defence, but was partnered by Tyrone Mings instead of Pau Torres this time. He received a 6.
Tyrone Mings was part of a defence that was poorly organised for the corner from which Kleindienst scored. Mings played most of the second half on the right side of defence after Pau Torres replaced Lindelof. He was rated 5.
Triston Rowe was given a chance to impress at left-back again. He didn't receive the ball as much as he should have, and was therefore not the outlet he wanted to be. Rated 5.
Lamare Bogarde made a few blocks to mitigate some of Gladbach's advances down their left channel, but was limited in possession. He received a 5.
Attacking Contributions and Substitutes
Ross Barkley was careless on the ball around his own box early on, presenting chances to Gladbach which should have been punished. He also struggled to progress the ball as the first period wore on and cut a frustrated figure. He improved in the second half, perhaps in part due to Kamara's introduction. Rated 5.
Alysson, following his impressive cameo against PSG, started on the right wing. He was direct in possession and looked to commit defenders at every opportunity. The Brazilian was on a booking from midway through the first half after being booked for a late tackle. He received a 6.
Luka Lynch drew a number of fouls in the first 20 minutes with his quick feet and effective protection of the ball. Rated 6.
George Hemmings didn't have as much joy out on the left as he did against PSG a few days ago. The 19-year-old showed his agility and balance late on in the first half to evade a couple of challenges, but his effort flew over the bar. He received a 6.
Tammy Abraham started up front for the first time this summer as Brian Madjo has been ruled out through injury until at least September. He was, however, barely involved in the first half and made no impact on the game before coming off injured in the second half. Rated 5.
Substitutes: James Wright (for Bizot, HT) didn't have many saves to make in the half of football he played. 6. John McGinn (for Lynch, HT) halved Villa's deficit, ghosting into the box and finishing from close range. 7. Matty Cash (for Nedeljkovic, HT) locked down the flank after coming on and played well. 6. Emi Buendia (for Hemmings, HT) was bright in possession and got stuck in with his defending too, picking McGinn out for his goal. 7. Ian Maatsen (for Rowe, HT) was presented with Villa's first big chance, but he dragged an effort wide of the far post from a brilliant position in the box. 6. Boubacar Kamara (for Bogarde, HT) was involved in Villa's goal, playing the ball to Buendia, who then found McGinn. 7. Brad Burrowes (for Abraham, 58') came on to lead the line after Abraham's injury. 6. Pau Torres (for Lindelof, 58') got around 30 minutes into his legs ahead of next weekend's opener. 6. Jamal Jimoh-Aloba (for Barkley, 75') missed a great chance to score late on. N/A. Subs not used: Asemota, Borland, Broggio.
The goals came from Kleindienst (32', 35') for Monchengladbach and McGinn (69') for Aston Villa. The defeat leaves Villa with work to do before their season opener next weekend.
