Kim Min-jae Scores Header as Bayern Munich Beats Aston Villa 2-1 in Pre-Season Friendly

South Korean national team defender Kim Min-jae (Bayern Munich) contributed to his team's victory by scoring a goal in a pre-season match relocated to Hong Kong.

Kim scored the opening goal to break the 0-0 tie in the 37th minute of the first half during a friendly against Aston Villa (England) held yesterday at the Kai Tak Sports Park in Hong Kong.

Bayern Munich, the most successful team in the German Bundesliga (35 titles), embarked on a pre-season Asia tour, defeating K League 1 side Jeju SK 2-1 on the 4th at the Jeju World Cup Stadium, and secured another narrow 2-1 victory in a match played three days later after moving to Hong Kong.

Kim, who wore the captain's armband and played for about 30 minutes as a starter in the Jeju match, started once again and paired up with Jonathan Tah in central defense.

In the 37th minute of the first half, he cleverly glanced a header onto a free kick crossed from the left flank by Tom Bischof, changing the direction of the ball to find the back of the net and give his team the opening goal.

Kim played until the 18th minute of the second half before being substituted for Japanese defender Hiroki Ito.

Following Kim's opening goal, Bayern added another when Luis Diaz scored in the 28th minute of the second half. Although they conceded a goal to Aston Villa's Joao Gomes in the 38th minute of the second half, they protected their lead until the end.

Bayern will now return to Germany to play matches against Leipzig on the 15th and second-tier side Heidenheim on the 18th.

The 2026-2027 Bundesliga season kicks off on the 28th, with Bayern opening their league campaign with a home match against Stuttgart.

(Photo: Getty Images)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.