Diego Carlos headed a late winner as Aston Villa rounded off their pre-season preparations with an impressive 2-1 victory at Stade Rennais.
The summer signing nodded home in the 81st minute at Roazhon Park to ensure Villa came from behind and ended their pre-season campaign unbeaten.
Leon Bailey had earlier cancelled out Arthur Theate’s opener with his third goal of the summer amid the stifling heat and partisan crowd in Rennes, with a sell-out allocation of 1,300 Villa supporters making the trip.
Villa will now travel back from northern France eager to continue their fine form when their 2022/23 Premier League campaign gets underway next Saturday at AFC Bournemouth.
It was Rennes who opened the scoring after seven minutes, centre-back Theate converting Lovro Majer’s cross following a short corner.
But Villa were level with 14 minutes on the clock as Ollie Watkins nodded wide to Lucas Digne, whose cross found Bailey and his finish bounced into the ground before finding the top corner beyond a despairing Steve Mandanda.
Villa came close to a second midway through the first half as Coutinho’s 25-yard free-kick had Mandanda beaten but rebounded off the outside of a post.
Matty Cash saw his rifled strike deflected narrowly wide before Bailey was denied when sent clean through as Villa created the better openings of the first period.
Flavien Tait flashed a long-range effort just wide for the hosts early in the second half before Steven Gerrard made his first changes in the 64th minute, introducing Morgan Sanson and Tim Iroegbunam.
The lively Bailey curled a shot narrowly off target in the 68th minute, yet Villa had Emi Martínez to thank moments later as he got down quickly to deny Benjamin Bourigeaud when he looked destined to score.
Ludwig Augustinsson, Ashley Young, Jacob Ramsey, Danny Ings and Cameron Archer were introduced shortly afterwards as Villa head coach Gerrard made further changes.
And it was the visitors who claimed the spoils in the 81st minute as Carlos rose highest to head home Young’s cross following a well-worked short corner with Coutinho, with Josh Feeney also handed valuable minutes late on.
Aston Villa: Martínez, Cash (Young 71), Konsa (Iroegbunam 64), Carlos, Digne (Augustinsson 71), Kamara, Luiz (Sanson 64), McGinn (Ramsey 71), Bailey (Ings 71), Watkins (Archer 79), Coutinho (Feeney 86).
Subs: Olsen.