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Kim Min-jae rose highest to head home from eight yards in the 37th minute, giving Bayern Munich a 1-0 lead over Aston Villa in their pre-season friendly at Hong Kong’s Kai Tak Sports Park on August 7. The goal, a relatively simple finish for a center-back who’s been the subject of transfer rumors for weeks, carried a quiet statement: he’s staying, and he’s ready.
The match, part of the Audi Football Summit, served as one of Bayern’s final tune-ups before the 2026/27 Bundesliga season kicks off.
Kim’s goal caps a turbulent summer
The 29-year-old South Korean international joined Bayern from Napoli back in 2023, a move that signaled the club’s ambition to build a defense capable of competing on multiple fronts.
That speculation intensified earlier this summer. Bayern reportedly entertained the idea of moving Kim on, a decision that would have freed up wages and roster flexibility. Then, in mid-July, the club reversed course and decided to keep him. His contract runs through June 2028, giving both sides plenty of runway.
This wasn’t even Kim’s first contribution of the tour. In Bayern’s previous friendly against Jeju SK in South Korea, he played 37 minutes in another 1-0 victory. Two matches, two wins, one goal.
Bayern’s Asian tour wraps up in Hong Kong
The Aston Villa fixture capped Bayern’s pre-season swing through Asia, a trip that took the squad from South Korea to Hong Kong.
The Kai Tak Sports Park venue added a layer of novelty. The stadium, built on the site of Hong Kong’s old airport, has become a popular destination for European clubs looking to tap into Asian football markets. The 20:00 HKT kickoff, which translated to a comfortable 14:00 SAST for South African viewers, was designed to maximize eyeballs across multiple time zones.
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