FC Bayern once againdropped crucial points in the Bundesliga title racewith a 2-2 draw against FC Augsburg. In particular, the early goal conceded following a costly mistake by Manuel Neuer sparked a lot of discussion. However, coach Vincent Kompany refused to assign blame after the final whistle and explicitly defended his team.
The Munich team had envisioned a very different start to the derby. Robin Fellhauer put the hosts ahead after just eight seconds. This was preceded by a major blunder by Neuer, who thus unwittingly played a part in the fastest goal in Bundesliga history.
Even after that, Bayern struggled at first. It wasn’t until about half an hour into the game that the record champions found their rhythm. Especially in the second half, the Munich team created numerous chances but were unable to convert their dominance into a victory.
Kompany defends his players: “Just normal people”
After the game, Kompany expressed disappointment with the result but did not want to fundamentally question his team’s performance.
“We didn’t do that much wrong. In the end, it was mistakes that influenced the result,” explained the Bayern coach.
For the Belgian, such situations are part and parcel of soccer. What matters more, he said, is how his team deals with setbacks.
“You can see that they’re just ordinary people who don’t always get everything right. And then life goes on—eventually, it’s forgotten. We have a lot of games coming up now, and we have to keep moving forward,” Kompany emphasized.
With that, the 40-year-old made it clear that, following the team’s second Bundesliga draw of the season, he sees no reason to fundamentally doubt his team.
Kompany Defends Neuer After Quick Goal Conceded
Kompany was also asked about Manuel Neuer’s costly mistake. The 40-year-old goalkeeper’s blunder had led to the early deficit, resulting in the worst possible start for Munich.
However, the Bayern coach avoided publicly criticizing his captain.
“It’s a shame, of course; we would have liked a different start, but I’ve played soccer long enough to know that the reaction is always what matters,” Kompany explained.
At the same time, he pointed out that despite falling behind early, his team still had enough chances to win the match.
“You can’t change what happened. We had enough chances of our own to win the game—we mustn’t forget that,” the Belgian clarified.
For Kompany, therefore, the focus isn’t on Neuer’s individual mistake, but on the fact that Bayern didn’t capitalize on their numerous scoring opportunities consistently enough.
Bayern needs to quickly get back on track
The Munich team doesn’t have much time to process the disappointing result anyway. Their next competitive match is already scheduled for Tuesday. In the Champions League, the record champions will face Viking Stavanger on the road.
After that, two more challenging opponents await: RB Leipzig and Arsenal. For Kompany’s team, this marks the start of a stretch in which they’ll play a new match nearly every three days.
The Bayern coach is therefore counting on a quick mental reset. Instead of dwelling on the mistakes made against Augsburg, his players should focus on the upcoming challenges.
However, after two draws in their first five Bundesliga games, the Munich team is under pressure to perform. Especially in the upcoming top-tier matches, it will be crucial to avoid individual mistakes and capitalize on their own chances more consistently.