Bayern Munich coach Vincent Kompany said today that he believes his team and PSG will go into the Allianz Arena this Wednesday with the same mentality as in the first leg, which ended 5–4 in favour of the French club, and that neither side will try to speculate but instead engage in an all-out duel across the pitch.
“You have to think about what has brought both teams here. That’s something you can’t change at the last moment. That’s why it’s hard to imagine PSG coming out with a different approach. The same applies to us,” said the Belgian coach.
For Bayern, Kompany said, it makes no difference whether they win 1–0 or 5–4 to reach extra time, or 2–0 or 6–4 to reach the final, and it is not about completely changing the approach that has led the team to a new Bundesliga goal record (116 goals with two matches remaining).
“Some ask for more pragmatism, but the most pragmatic thing is to play to win matches. To do that, you need to score one more goal than your opponent,” he stressed.
According to Kompany, it is not about changing everything now, but about “fine-tuning small details. The players need to be strengthened in what they have done well throughout the season.”
In the same vein, Kompany dismissed the idea of any last-minute tactical innovation when asked about it.
“Answering yes to that question would be a stupid answer. A match like tomorrow is a players’ match, not the coach’s. My role is to strengthen them,” he said.
Finally, Kompany expressed satisfaction that, with the exception of Serge Gnabry, all players are once again available. The German attacking midfielder suffered a serious muscle injury in training and will miss the rest of the season and the World Cup.