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Kompany surprises before the DFB Cup: I don’t care who plays!”
Bayern Munich is about to play the DFB Cup game against Cologne. Coach Kompany talks about the starting eleven and player form.
Kompany surprises before the DFB Cup: I don’t care who plays!”
In a remarkable run-up to the DFB Cup game between FC Bayern Munich and 1. FC Köln, which kicks off on Wednesday at 8:45 p.m. and will be broadcast live on ARD and Sky, Bayern coach Vincent Kompany made a public statement. He surprised reporters with the graphic statement: “If I’m honest, I don’t really care who plays!” This shows once again that for Kompany the focus is on the performance of the players and not their names. “The players earn their place on the field,” the coach continued.
In recent weeks, Bayern's offensive position has been a particularly big topic. Kompany has decisions to make regarding Harry Kane, Serge Gnabry, Nicolas Jackson and the up-and-coming Lennart Karl. While Gnabry is fit again after struggling with adductor problems, Jackson has already received a poor grade of 5 twice in the Bundesliga, but was able to show off with a goal in the game against Club Brugge. Not to be forgotten is Lennart Karl, who has scored two goals in the last two games and is therefore a promising element in Bayern's game.
Starting eleven and failures
However, the thoughts surrounding the starting eleven are not entirely straightforward. Kompany also expressed concerns about using the word “set” in reference to the lineup. Especially in view of Bayern's recent cup defeats, which caused enough excitement at home over the last five years. The last cup wins date back to 2020, and since then there have been a few embarrassments that have not been good for the club.
While the most important man between the posts, Manuel Neuer, cannot fly to Cologne due to an indoor ban, Jonas Urbig will make his 15th appearance for Bayern. Sven Ulreich will sit on the bench as a replacement. The absence of key players such as Jamal Musiala (broken fibula), Alphonso Davies (torn cruciate ligament) and Hiroki Ito (broken metatarsal) makes the challenge even greater.
Matchday preview
Bayern's next Bundesliga game against Bayer Leverkusen is on Saturday, followed a week later by the Champions League encounter against PSG. The team is required to stabilize its performance in order to continue to be successful in the cup and the league.
While the sports world is looking forward to the duel in Cologne, it remains to be seen whether Bayern can find their form and leave the critical voices behind them. The coming days will be crucial for the people of Munich.