Aston Villa concluded their pre-season tour of the Far East with a 2-1 defeat to Bayern Munich in Hong Kong, following earlier victories over Indonesia All Stars and BG Pathum United. Kim Min-jae headed home Tom Bischof's free-kick in the first half, and Luis Diaz doubled the German champions' lead after the break. Joao Gomes pulled one back for Villa late on with a fine finish from outside the box, before Tammy Abraham should have scored with a header in the 85th minute.
Gomes shines despite defeat
Signed from Wolves for £35 million, Gomes could turn out to be one of the shrewdest pieces of business in the Premier League this summer. Most Villa fans will now expect him to hit the ground running after a series of impressive pre-season displays, but his performance against Bayern was his best yet. Although the Bundesliga giants were without several key players, midfielders Aleksandar Pavlović and Tom Bischof, along with defender Josip Stanišić, are all established first-team players, while Joao Palhinha has also been linked with a move to Villa.
Gomes dropped slightly deeper than partner Boubacar Kamara in the first half but began to push further forward following Lamar Bogarde's introduction after the hour mark. You would expect Gomes to partner Kamara most often next season, and while they may lack the exceptional passing range of the departed Youri Tielemans, they are both aggressive out of possession and possess more than enough quality on the ball.
Gomes' availability a key asset
Against both Pathum and Bayern, Gomes repeatedly weaved in and out of challenges to drive Villa up the pitch. He also showcased his eye for goal late in the game, beating Manuel Neuer with a brilliant finish from the edge of the area. Another key strength of Gomes' profile is his availability, having rarely missed a game for Wolves. That is particularly important for Villa given Kamara's injury problems over the past few years and the fact that Amadou Onana is ruled out for most, if not all, of next season with an ACL injury.
Guessand fails to impress
By contrast, Evann Guessand has failed to take his chance in pre-season despite featuring in all three matches in the Far East. The Ivory Coast international started as a striker against Indonesia All Stars and BG Pathum United but flattered to deceive in both games, appearing short of confidence. That became even more evident against Bayern, where he played in his preferred role behind the striker, Brian Madjo, yet still made only a limited contribution.
In the first half, Guessand's touch was loose and he enjoyed mixed success operating in tight pockets of space against Bayern's midfielders. He then missed a golden opportunity to equalise in the second half. Emi Buendia delivered an inviting free-kick into the box, but Guessand opted to volley the ball rather than head it and failed to make clean contact from just a few yards out.
Guessand's future at Villa in doubt
Guessand joined Villa from Nice in a deal worth up to £30 million last summer, but after struggling for form during the first half of the season, he spent the remainder of the campaign on loan at Crystal Palace. Palace chose not to make the move permanent earlier this summer, instead pursuing other targets under their new manager. Guessand still has two more pre-season matches to stake his claim before the Premier League campaign begins, but he has plenty to prove if he is to earn a place in Unai Emery's squad.
