Bayern Munich’s Vincent Kompany Optimistic About Overcoming Deficit

Bayern Munich manager Vincent Kompany expressed that his team “fully believes” in their potential to overcome the challenge ahead, despite suffering a 2-1 defeat at home to Inter Milan in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final on Tuesday.

The Bavarians started strong but fell behind when Lautaro Martinez netted for Inter in the 38th minute.

Veteran striker Thomas Muller, who was brought on by Kompany in the 74th minute, appeared to have equalised late in the game. However, Inter struck back on the counter-attack with a goal from Davide Frattesi in the 88th minute.

“We controlled the first half significantly. We had several clear-cut chances and should have finished with more goals,” Kompany remarked to the media.

“Inter is in front, but we need to secure a win in Milan. Results can be unjust at times, but it’s only halftime,” he continued.

“We maintained our confidence, and although it’s disappointing that Inter scored that late goal, we believe we have another opportunity in Milan. Our confidence in that match remains high.“

Bayern striker Harry Kane echoed this sentiment, stating, “there’s still 90 minutes to play, and we have the players capable of turning this around.“

“Inter celebrated as if they won the entire tie there at the end, but everything is still at stake,” he added.

“We created plenty of chances to expose them, and if we replicate that performance next week, we can change the outcome.“

Bayern approached the fixture missing key players like Jamal Musiala, Manuel Neuer, Alphonso Davies, and Dayot Upamecano due to injuries. However, Kompany stated that his team was “not looking for excuses.”

“The result is what it is, but we genuinely believe we can secure a win in Milan,” the Belgian manager noted.

This defeat marked Bayern’s first home loss in 22 Champions League matches, dating back to 2021.

While the German powerhouses hold a six-point lead over Bayer Leverkusen in the Bundesliga, they must first contend with domestic rivals Borussia Dortmund on Saturday before heading to Italy for the return leg on Wednesday.