On the fifth matchday of the Bundesliga, FC Bayern missed the chance to move ahead of Borussia Dortmund. While BVB could not manage more than a 2-2 draw against Werder Bremen, the record champions also had to settle for a draw at FC Augsburg. Coach Vincent Kompany, however, seemed unimpressed by this. According to his own statements, the Belgian isn’t interested in the results of their direct rival at all.
Yet the situation could certainly have been better for Munich. Dortmund had already dropped points before Bayern’s game, opening the door to the top of the table. But Kompany’s team failed to capitalize on the opportunity.
After falling behind early and squandering numerous scoring chances, they could only manage a 2-2 draw in Augsburg as well. Nevertheless, the Bayern coach refused to dwell on BVB’s result afterward.
Kompany: “I don’t even know how Dortmund played.”
In an interview with Sky, Kompany was asked about Borussia Dortmund’s slip-up. His response was surprisingly blunt.
“I have to be honest, I don’t even know how Dortmund played. I came to this stadium today without knowing how Dortmund played. I don’t care,” explained the 40-year-old.
For the Bayern coach, it apparently doesn’t matter at this early stage of the season what results the competition is posting. Instead, he’s focusing exclusively on his own team’s performance.
“At some point, we’ll play against each other, and that’s when it will matter. At the end of the season, the only thing that counts is the point difference between Dortmund and us,” Kompany emphasized.
With that, the Belgian made it clear that he doesn’t want to let the current standings rattle him.
Kompany recalls the title race between City and Liverpool
Kompany also attributed his attitude to experiences from his playing career. During his time at Manchester City, he was part of several intense title races against Liverpool FC.
The seasons in which both teams needed nearly every point left a particularly strong impression on the former center back.
“When I was at Manchester City, I was caught up in this incredible battle with Liverpool. At one point, it came down to reaching 100, 98, or 99 points,” recalled the Bayern coach.
From these experiences, he learned that it doesn’t help much to constantly keep an eye on the results of your direct rival.
“At some point, you just stopped looking at the opponent altogether. You focused only on yourself and your own goals and just kept going,” Kompany explained.
Bayern Facing Crucial Weeks
For the Munich team, this mindset is likely to be particularly important in the coming weeks. After their second draw in their fifth Bundesliga match, a challenging schedule awaits the record champions.
As early as Tuesday, they’ll face Viking Stavanger in an away Champions League match. This will be followed by matches against RB Leipzig and Arsenal, among others.
Finally, at the end of October, they’ll face Borussia Dortmund head-to-head. By then at the latest, BVB’s performance will once again play a major role for Kompany as well.
Until then, however, the Bayern coach is taking a clear approach: Munich must improve its own performance, avoid unnecessary mistakes, and collect as many points as possible. For now, what the competition does is of secondary importance to Kompany.