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Aston Villa star explains why he's excited at Bayern Munich friendly challenge

· Matt Maher · 2026-08-06 · nguồn gốc

Aston Villa star explains why he's excited at Bayern Munich friendly challenge The clubs face each other in Hong Kong on Friday. Matty Cash reckons Villa will still be facing one of the best teams in the world when they take on Bayern Munich in Hong Kong. The 1982 European Cup finalists meet on Friday at Kai Tak Stadium (kick-off 1pm) for the final match of their respective pre-season tours to the Far East. A friendly which not so long ago would have felt a momentous one for Villa feels rather less so due to several factors, including the location and the fact they beat Bayern in the Champions League less than two years ago. The match also falls just five days before Villa face Paris Saint-Germain in the European Super Cup, while injuries and the proximity to the World Cup has shorn it of some big names on both sides including Emi Martinez, Ollie Watkins, Harry Kane and Michael Olise. But Bayern will still boast Manuel Neuer and Luis Diaz in their ranks and Cash is relishing the challenge ahead. “They’re probably one of the best teams in the world at the minute, so it’s a great test for us,” he said. “It’ll be really good; it’s another strong opponent. We’re looking forward to it and hopefully it will set us up nicely going into the PSG game.” The Bayern match is the third match of Villa’s Far East tour which has already included wins in Indonesia and Thailand. New signings Alejandro Garnacho and Joao Gomes have featured in both matches and Cash claims the trip, while hectic, has been good for team bonding. “We’re spending a lot of time together, eating every meal together,” he said. “We’ve not had a lot of free time because we’ve been travelling and training,” he added. “We’ve been team bonding because we’ve had a lot of changes this year, with players going and new players coming in. “It’s good to see them settle in and we’re looking forward to another strong season.” Bayern boss Vincent Kompany said: “Aston Villa are a top side with a very good coach. They have a big squad and will field plenty of talent. “They’ve already played more friendlies than us, but for us it’s a good challenge. It’s a match in which we’ll learn a lot about our team’s fitness. It’ll be a good match for us."