As many Bayern Munich fans have learned the hard way over the years, you can throw the records out the window when the Bavarians take on Borussia Mönchengladbach.
This season, though, the teams are in polar
opposite positions in the table — Bayern Munich sits in first place, while Gladbach is struggling in 128th place. Bayern Munich coach Vincent Kompany will not be fooled into thinking this will be a cakewalk.
“When we step onto the pitch, we won’t feel like it’s top against bottom. This game has a lot of tradition. I’ve been in their situation myself, so I know how it feels. You try to find the motivation. We want to keep our focus high,” said Kompany (as captured by @iMiaSanMia). “Tomorrow, it’s all about three points. The statistics aren’t that important. We have to stay focused on the game.”
When asked about the recent statements from Gladbach manager Eugen Polanski, who said “Bayern are doing nothing special, but what they’re doing, they’re doing very well,” — Kompany explained that clarity, simplicity, and fun are part of the plan.
“I hope our style is easy for our players to understand. I think it was meant positively. Everyone knows that Michael Olise, Luis Díaz, or Harry Kane get the ball and try something, but you have to be able to defend that. Quality and talent have something to do with that. The important thing is that we play our game and have fun, and we have to do that against Gladbach, too,” Kompany said.
Kompany, who rarely divulges anything regarding his squad selection or starting lineup, did acknowledge that Jonas Urbig will get the start (as reported here on Thursday). In addition, Kompany gave an update on Josip Stanišić and Serge Gnabry.
“Jonas Urbig will start tomorrow. I don’t usually say anything about the starting eleven. But I’ve learned that goalkeepers are always a bit different. We’ve discussed it clearly, and that also has to do with the fact that Jonas will play against Köln next week. In this case, clarity is important,” said Kompany. “Manuel Neuer will fly with us to Gladbach. But we want to give Jonas a chance before the game against Köln.
“If Josip Stanišić and Serge Gnabry train normally today, they’ll be back in the squad tomorrow.”
Finally, Kompany spoke about how the team has embraced integrating young players into the mix for this season.
“We decided in the summer that we wanted to give Wisdom Mike, Lennart Karl, and Cassiano Kiala a chance. Lennart did very well against Brugge. But he also needs to keep pushing. It’s clear that we’re relying on the campus. The campus has done a very good job. We have a lot of guys who train with us regularly. Of course, we want a lot more, but it’s not about wishes, it’s about work,” Kompany stated.
Bayern Munich will travel to Borussia Mönchengladbach for a Bundesliga showdown between two teams rocketing in different directions.
The Bavarians are rolling and have been thoroughly dominant, while Gladbach has already sacked a coach. In addition, Gladbach is also residing in last place of the Bundesliga table, which is kind of incredible considering how average the league has been this season.
Let’s dive into the details. This is what we have on tap for this edition of the Bavarian Podcast Works — Preview Show:
- What to watch for with Gladbach — is there a bogey threat?
- A rundown of Gladbach’s roster and who to watch out for.
- A look at Bayern Munich’s injury situation.
- A guess at Bayern Munich’s starting XI.
- A prediction on the match.
