After a disappointing 0-0 draw with Schalke 04 last weekend, Bayern Munich head coach Vincent Kompany is not going to let his team overlook Champions League demon Bodø/Glimt.
“Bodø/Glimt is a great football story. The more you analyze them, the more you realize it all makes sense. Every player can run a lot, every player wants to defend and press. They have a clear idea, and the players are fully committed to it. It’s difficult to implement, and that also applies to transfers. With the money they
have available, they shouldn’t really be able to compete with those teams, but they do – that’s the highest compliment you can give them,” said Kompany (as captured by @iMiaSanMia). “Bayern is one of those clubs that always starts the season aiming for the title. Right now, the focus is solely on Bodø/Glimt. But I always think it’s good to clearly state your goals. My priority now is to win tomorrow. We’re going to do everything we can to achieve that.
“There are always lessons to be learned. Two years ago, we were missing 8-9 players against Inter, while last season we had virtually everyone available. You can’t always control that. Then it comes down to the details. There are no excuses; you have to be better than your opponent. But you also need luck; you have to force your luck. We will do everything we can to be in those games again.”
As for details on his squad and lineup, Kompany kept it all close to the vest. Specifically, when asked about Serge Gnabry, Kompany revealed next to nothing, but he did address Jamal Musiala’s status.
“We have to wait and see. It’s possible, but we have to be certain and see how (Gnabry) feels,” Kompany said. “If he isn’t back tomorrow, it will be soon. When Serge is available, we’ll have everyone at our disposal. We shouldn’t forget how good he was last season. Our goal is for him to get back to that level. We know his qualities. The sooner he’s back, the better, but we want him for the entire season. If Serge gets back to his level, everyone else in his position has to be good too, then you have that competition and intensity.
“Jamal has played a few minutes now, but he’s still in a build-up phase. He’s felt good since he rejoined the team for training. We’re as close to normality as possible, but we also need to be a little bit more patient. We want to have all the guys available at the end of the season, and for that you need a plan. I don’t like the word ‘resting’ – it’s about making rational decisions. These decisions are made calmly. We always try to push ourselves to the limit; it’s competitive sport. Nevertheless, we want to make rational and good decisions.”
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