FC Bayern faces a top-tier opponent in FC Arsenal. In the match against the English champions, Bayern coach Vincent Kompany surprised everyone with his lineup.
Luis Diaz, who scored a hat trick against Leipzig over the weekend, is not in the starting lineup. Instead, Alphonso Davies, Ismael Saibari, and Serge Gnabry are playing in attack behind Harry Kane.
For many, it came as a surprise that the Colombian wasn’t in the starting lineup. Vincent Kompany, Bayern’s coach, explained to DAZN before the game why that was the case.
Kompany explains why Diaz was left out
“I think we’re in a phase with little time to recover. Sometimes one game affects the next. Lucho Diaz was already having problems toward the end of the match against Leipzig. We were worried then that something might have happened. He’s back in training now, and he can play a role today if he feels good. We’re happy that he’s even here,” said Kompany.
This means, then, that the attacking player can only come off the bench for a limited time, and starting him would have been a risk. Kompany did not want to comment in detail on the goalkeeping situation again: “We’ve clearly communicated how we want to handle the goalkeeping situation; we’re not going to repeat that every week.”
Kompany considers Arsenal to be an extremely strong opponent in every area. “Arsenal is playing a different style when they have possession now. They have a lot of talent and quality. Their physical strength and good organization are the best in the world, I think. They not only have a good starting lineup, but also a strong bench and a solid roster,” the coach explained.
This is a major challenge for his team, especially given the current personnel situation. Joshua Kimmich and Michael Olise won’t be able to play today either, and the same goes for Jamal Musiala.
