UEFA Europa League champions Aston Villa wrapped up their Asia Tour Thailand on a winning note after defeating BG Pathum United 3-1 at BG Stadium on Tuesday night, overcoming difficult weather conditions to deliver an entertaining display in front of Thai supporters.
Heavy rainfall delayed kick-off by 45 minutes, but once the match got underway, Unai Emery’s side immediately demonstrated their quality against the Thai giants.
Villa dominated possession from the opening whistle and broke the deadlock in the 12th minute when Emiliano Buendia produced a clinical finish into the corner after carving out space inside the penalty area.
The Premier League side doubled their advantage before half-time as defender Victor Lindelof powered home a header from a corner in the 31st minute, giving Villa complete control of the contest.
The only sour moment for the visitors came when new signing Alejandro Garnacho suffered a mouth injury following a collision during the first half. The Argentine winger was unable to continue and was substituted as a precaution.
Villa maintained their dominance after the restart, and substitute Boubacar Kamara effectively sealed the result in spectacular fashion with a long-range strike in the 62nd minute to make it 3-0.
BG Pathum United continued to battle until the final whistle and were rewarded late in the game when Leon James found the net with a composed finish, reducing the deficit to 3-1 and giving the home supporters something to celebrate.
Despite the late consolation, Aston Villa comfortably saw out the match to complete a successful visit to Thailand with a convincing victory.
The friendly offered BG Pathum United valuable experience against one of Europe’s elite clubs, while Villa continued to build momentum ahead of the new campaign with encouraging performances from both established stars and new arrivals.
Credit Photo : BGPU
