Bayern Munich coach Vincent Kompany knows a thing or two about Chelsea ahead of the Champions League battle between the two clubs.
“I’ve already watched probably 40 games of Chelsea last season. They’re an interesting team to obverse. But I don’t think there’s a lot of mystery around them, and I know the coach very well. I’ll quickly see tomorrow whether we’ve done our homework. But the most important thing is that the players feel good, not that I feel good. That applies to Enzo Maresca’s team, too,
of course,“ said Kompany (as captured by @iMiaSanMia). “If we win six games, we’ll be in the top eight. Four wins are enough for the play-offs. This phase is very interesting. There’s a lot of drama in the new format, I think the fans like it. What’s still difficult is that every team has different opponents. Our path is tough with Chelsea, Arsenal and PSG, but we want to get into the top eight,”
“You have to get through the knockout phase first, then anything’s possible. We had nine injured players in the last game against Inter and still performed well. With PSG, for example, everyone was fit in the knockout phase. We didn’t have that luxury. Obviously we hope for a fit squad so that we always have the best players available.”
Kompany would not commit to divulging much about his lineup, particularly as it pertains to Chelsea loanee Nicolas Jackson. As for Serge Gnabry, the head coach knows his history against English teams.
“We’ll see tomorrow. I won’t reveal too much about the team. You can always look at it from two sides. Of course you’re particularly motivated against your ex-club, but it will certainly be a special game for (Jackson),” Kompany said. “Serge has always been a top player. It’s not easy to deliver top performances for six or seven years. Maybe he’s had a few hiccups. But he has great quality; I believe in him and his strengths. I hope he stays fit and maintains his level. He often performs against English teams, and he’ll show that against other teams as well.
“Dayot Upamecano, Manuel Neuer, Alphonso Davies or Jamal Musiala have been injured in big games, that’s part of it. You also just need luck sometimes. It was looking good for a long while last season, then a lot of things changed during the international break. That affects a season. The belief is there that we’ll be lucky this year and they’ll be fit when they’re needed. We have a lot of players who have had injuries in the past, so we need to be extremely careful.”
Kompany is also keeping an eye on Chelsea’s lineup and some of the personnel situations that the English power is dealing with.
“Cole is an outstanding player. It wouldn’t surprise me if he starts tomorrow, but they have another game against Manchester United on Saturday so I would also understand if they don’t take the risk with him. But I know Cole very well and know he doesn’t need a lot of time to have an impact,” Kompany noted.
Finally, Kompany was asked about the statement made by Uli Hoeneß regarding Bayern Munich being an underdog in the Champions League.
“Let’s see what happens. Everyone’s 100% up for the Champions League. We want to win the Champions League. There’s no Bayern player or coach who would say otherwise. And then there’s the reality. Others want that too. We’re playing against the best teams in Europe. The only task now is Chelsea, but the dream remains nevertheless,” Kompany said.
Bayern Munich will square off with Chelsea in the Champions League at the Allianz Arena in what will surely be an electric atmosphere.
Germany’s biggest club will host a traditional English power…what else can you ask for? Let’s stop wasting time and get into this showdown between two of the more dangerous teams in the competition:
- What a crazy way to start the Champions League
- What to watch for with Chelsea — this team is loaded, but also does have a couple of injuries to deal with.
- A look at Bayern Munich’s injury situation as Vincent Kompany appears to have settled into his starting XI for big matches.
- A guess at Bayern Munich’s starting XI.
- A prediction on the match.
Also, be sure to stay tuned to Bavarian Podcast Works for all of your up to date coverage on Bayern Munich and Germany. Check us out on Patreon and follow us on Twitter @BavarianFBWorks, @BavarianPodcast @TheBarrelBlog, @BFWCyler, @2012nonexistent, @TommyAdams71 and more.
