TEMPO.CO, Jakarta – English club Aston Villa defeated the Indonesia All Stars 3-1 in their pre-season tour of Indonesia, played at the Gelora Bung Karno Main Stadium in Jakarta on Saturday.
Emiliano Buendia, Ross Barkley, and Brian Madjo scored Aston Villa’s three goals, while Arkhan Kaka scored the only goal for the Indonesia All Stars.
In the first half, coach Unai Emery immediately fielded his best players. Victor Lindelof and Pau Torres were in defense, Emiliano Buendia, John McGinn, and Ross Barkley in midfield, and Evann Guessand and Alejandro Garnacho in attack.
The presence of these top players gave the Europa League champions an early lead, after Emiliano Buendia scored in the third minute.
Buendia’s goal came from an Aston Villa attack down the right flank, with Kosta Nedeljovic overlapping and cutting the ball back to the Argentine.
The Indonesia All Stars tried to respond to this early goal. However, Kurniawan Dwi Yulianto’s team still struggled to break through the solid defense of the team that finished fourth in the Premier League last season.
The Indonesia All Stars had a golden opportunity in the 29th minute through a shot from Hokky Caraka. However, the Persita Tangerang player’s shot hit the post.
Aston Villa tried to add another goal as the first half drew to a close, but Nedeljovic’s shot and Torres’ header were unable to break through the Indonesia All Stars’ goal, which was guarded by Kartika Ajie.
After those chances failed, Aston Villa finally increased their lead with a shot from the edge of the penalty area through Ross Barkley in the 45th minute.
In stoppage time, Aston Villa had another chance through a tight angle shot from Buendia. However, his shot was saved by Kartika Ajie. The first half ended with Aston Villa leading 2-0.
In the second half, Emery took off his best players and replaced them with Tyrone Mings, Matty Cash, and Dutch left-back Ian Maatsen, who has Indonesian roots.
Aston Villa footballer Ian Maatsen (right) is blocked by Indonesian All Stars footballer Algazani Dwi, in a match entitled “Aston Villa Pre-Season Tour Indonesia 2026” at the Gelora Bung Karno Main Stadium, Senayan, Jakarta, August 1, 2026. Tempo/Martin Yogi Pardamean
These changes didn’t affect Aston Villa’s play, as they continued to dominate. They extended their lead in the 57th minute through Brian Madjo’s close-range shot.
In the 67th minute, George Hemmings found space on the edge of the penalty box. He took a shot, but it was weak, and was easily saved by Kartika Ajie.
Aston Villa’s best chance came two minutes later. Through a combination of Cash and Maatsen on the left side of the attack, Maatsen managed to get a high pass to Mings, who headed it over. However, the tall 33-year-old defender’s header went over.
After Aston Villa, the Indonesian All Stars’ best chance came in the 72nd minute. Starting from an attack on the left flank, Fabio Azka sent a pass to Ramai Rumakiek in the middle, but the Persipura Jayapura player couldn’t connect with the ball.
The goal the Indonesia All Stars had been waiting for arrived in the 83rd minute after Arkhan Kaka connected with a rebound from Reno Salampessy’s shot. The score changed to 1-3, a score that held until the end of the match.
After completing their match against the Indonesia All Stars, Aston Villa’s preseason tour continues in Thailand, where they face BG Pathum United on Tuesday (August 4th) and then face Bayern Munich three days later.
After that, they will play in the UEFA Super Cup against Champions League champions Paris Saint-Germain on August 13th.
Emery’s squad will then play their final preseason match against Borussia Mönchengladbach on August 15th, before opening their Premier League campaign away to Brighton & Hove Albion on August 23rd.
Line-up of both teams:
Aston Villa: James Wright (GK), Victor Lindelof, Pau Torres, Kosta Nedeljovic, Triston Rowe, Ross Barkley, John McGinn (C), Emiliano Buendia, Evann Guessand, Alejandro Garnacho, Modou Cisse
Coach: Unai Emery
Indonesia All Stars: Kartika Ajie (GK), Yusaku Yamadera, Brandon Scheunemann, Oliver Leeming, Hasyim Kipuw, Kelly Sroyer, Jordi Wehrmann, Ze Valente, Hokky Caraka, Ezra Walian (C), Zahaby Gholy.
Coach: Kurniawan Dwi Yulianto.
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Read: Full List of Europa League Winners: From 1971 to 2026
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