Vincent Kompany, Bayern's coach, faced the press on Wednesday after his team suffered a heavy 4-1 defeat to Barcelona in the third round of the Champions League.
Kompany didn't shy away from acknowledging that the result was fair and took full responsibility for the loss, which was the second consecutive defeat for his side in the competition.
The match, played at Camp Nou, saw Bayern struggle to cope with Barcelona’s relentless pressure and clinical finishing, particularly in the second half. Darwin Núñez, Lewandowski, and Raphinha led the charge for Barcelona, tearing through Bayern’s defense with ease. Kompany admitted that while his side started strong and had a solid half-hour in the first half, the game quickly slipped away from them.
“We lost, it was a clear defeat. We will come together and learn from it. The first goal was bitter, and in the first half, I felt we could win for about half an hour. But then the game changed with the second and third goals. The proper analysis will come calmly, so we can learn from this,” Kompany said, reflecting on the match.
He explained that after Darwin Núñez opened the scoring, his team struggled to respond, and as Barcelona intensified their attack, Bayern found themselves increasingly on the back foot. The second and third goals were decisive and left Bayern chasing the game, unable to regain any semblance of control.
Despite the mounting pressure from the media and fans, Kompany refused to dwell on "excuses." Instead, he reiterated the importance of reviewing the mistakes made during the game, particularly their failure to handle Barcelona's quick counterattacks and the individual brilliance of their forwards, including Lewandowski, Lamine Yamal, and Raphinha. “I want to make a very careful analysis; I don't want to go around in circles. We didn't find a solution for the counterattacks and individual plays from their front three, and we were a step behind in the key moments," he said.
The Belgian coach was clear that the defeat, though heavy, wouldn't define Bayern's season. "There are no excuses, the important thing is that we learn from this game, which won’t decide our season. Why there was such a big difference between the first and second half is something we need to figure out.”
This loss marks Kompany's second straight defeat in the Champions League, having already lost 0-1 to Aston Villa in the previous round. It’s clear that Kompany feels the pressure, but he remains focused on finding solutions to Bayern’s current issues. He acknowledged that improvements were necessary but remained optimistic about their chances in the competition.
Records and Standings
With this resounding victory, Barcelona moved up to tenth in the Champions League group stage standings, accumulating six points. Meanwhile, Bayern, who had started the campaign with high hopes, fell to 23rd place with just three points from their opening three matches. This puts them in a precarious position, as they now need to fight back to secure qualification for the knockout stages.
Kompany’s side will face a tough road ahead, but the Belgian manager remains committed to turning things around. Despite the setbacks, he knows that Bayern has the quality to compete at the highest level, but they need to regain their form quickly to stay in contention.
Looking ahead, Bayern will need to improve their defensive organization and find better solutions in transition to avoid being caught out by teams like Barcelona, who exploit space and moments of indecision with ruthless efficiency. Kompany also hinted that they would be working on new strategies to counteract the strengths of top opposition as they prepare for their upcoming matches in both the Bundesliga and the Champions League.
The loss against Barcelona also brings into focus Bayern's recent inconsistency on the European stage. After dominating domestically for years, the club has struggled to assert its authority in the Champions League in recent seasons. This defeat serves as a reminder that the competition is unforgiving, and any lapse in concentration can lead to severe consequences.
With Bayern’s next few games critical for their Champions League hopes, Kompany will need to rally his squad and find the right balance between attack and defense to ensure they don't repeat the mistakes made in Barcelona. The path to recovery begins now, and how Kompany and his team respond to this setback could define their season.