Key events
6 min: Kane enters the game, getting his head on an excellent Kimmich cross from the right. Martínez makes a terrific save with his left foot … but the forward was offside anyway.
5 min: Rogers meets the ball but is also greeted by a stream of Bayern shirts, the German side already looking to stop him from carrying the ball forward for Villa.
3 min: Bayern knock it around at the back, dominating the early possession.
2 min: Olise whips in a corner for Bayern, with no damage done to Villa.
1 min: Neuer spends plenty of time on the ball outside his area, waiting and assessing. There’s no rushed press from Villa on to the keeper, who goes short.
Peeeep!
Villa are in their usual claret and blue, while Bayern don their all-black outfits. The visitors kick off, moving from left to right on my screen.
Rio Ferdinand’s getting all worked up and excited over on TNT. The players are on their way out, led by two World Cup winners: Emi Martínez and Manuel Neuer. Villa Park is rocking.
Just a few minutes now … get your cup of chamomile/whatever suits ready.
Richard Hirst would like to see a certain someone back at the Cottage: “Never mind about how’s Kane doing, what about poor Joao, on Bayern’s bench rather than gracing Fulham’s midfield as we march up the table. Don’t worry Joao, we’ll have you back.”
Ben Fisher reports on one of the key subplots of the evening.
The question related to Harry Kane and the easy answer was the equivalent of a tap-in but instead Ollie Watkins paused before offering a candid assessment of the nuanced dynamic at play. For Watkins, Kane is his England captain, a teammate but also, to put it bluntly, the guy he is trying to displace.
How’s Harry Kane doing in Germany this season, you ask? Five goals in five league games, four in one Champions League match, and a goal in the cup, too. He was an injury concern heading into this match but starts.
Bayern make two changes from the XI that drew 1-1 against Leverkusen, with Konrad Laimer and Kingsley Coman in; Raphaël Guerreiro and Jamal Musiala go to the bench. Villa have one change from their 2-2 draw with Ipswich: Jaden Philogene, 19 years young, replaces Leon Bailey.
The teams
Here we go:
Aston Villa: Martínez, Diego Carlos, Konsa, Torres, Digne, Onana, Ramsey, Philogene, Tielemans, Rogers, Watkins
Subs: Gauci, Zych, Cash, Barkley, Durán, Buendía, Nedeljkovic, Maatsen, Bogarde, Bailey, Swinkels, Young
Bayern Munich: Neuer, Kimmich, Min-jae, Upamecano, Davies, Laimer, Pavlovic, Coman, Olise, Gnabry, Kane
Subs: Peretz, Ulreich, Goretzka, Sané, Dier, Palhinha, Guerreiro, Müller, Tel, Musiala
Preamble
Hello, hello, hello and welcome to a very special evening at Villa Park. The German giants are in town for a rematch of the 1982 European Cup final, when Aston Villa triumphed 1-0 in Rotterdam. Withe, Shaw and Spink were just some of the heroes back then; tonight offers Watkins, Martínez and others the chance to become the same.
Bayern Munich, looking rejuvenated under new management, will hope to be party-poopers. They remain unbeaten this season, scored nine (!) against Dinamo Zagreb in their Champions League opener and kept up with Leverkusen over the weekend. This should be good fun. Kick-off’s at 8pm BST.
