Kompany and Bayern Munich Confident of Going Far in the Champions League

With Vincent Kompany at the helm, Bayern Munich kicks off a new European campaign with confidence and ambition

A Bayern determined to break the streak

Vincent Kompany, coach of Bayern Munich, assured that there will be no "excuses" to explain the club's recent setbacks in the Champions League. The Belgian, who has already won two Bundesliga titles and one DFB-Pokal since his arrival, has the main goal of lifting the Champions League trophy, which has been eluding them in recent seasons. Last year they reached the semifinals, falling to the eventual champion Paris Saint-Germain, a step forward compared to the elimination in the quarter-finals of the previous campaign. Now, Bayern is once again among the favorites, with only Arsenal (21.6%) having a higher chance of lifting the title than the Bavarians (17.8%).

The challenge of Bodo/Glimt

The European adventure begins against Bodo/Glimt, the Norwegian revelation that surprised everyone by eliminating Inter in the playoffs of the previous edition. Kompany does not underestimate the opponent and highlighted, "Bodo/Glimt is a great story for football. Every player runs, defends, and presses. With the resources they have, they shouldn't be competing at the level they are, and that's the highest praise you can give them." Bayern arrives with statistics that command respect, having never lost to Norwegian teams in European competitions (6 wins and 2 draws), winning the first match in each of their last 23 continental campaigns, and accumulating 36 victories in their last 38 home group stage matches. However, Kompany insists that the key lies in concentration and learning from past experiences, "You have to be better than the opponent, and you also need luck, which you have to force."

The anticipated return of Gnabry

Regarding the squad, Serge Gnabry could make a return, absent since April due to a groin injury. The coach clarified that he won't rush him and noted, "If it's not against Bodo, it will be soon. The important thing is that he regains the level he showed last season. When Serge is doing well, he forces everyone else to be at the same level." With confidence and ambition, Bayern Munich kicks off a new European campaign determined to break the streak and return to the top of the continent.