Jamal Musiala not only made a sporting statement in FC Bayern’s 2:1 away win against PSV Eindhoven, his comeback to the starting eleven after 207 days turned into a story that had even coach Vincent Kompany raving afterwards – and provided a remarkable glimpse behind the scenes
For the first time since his serious injury, Jamal Musiala was back on the pitch from the start. And not just anywhere, but away from home in the Champions League. This fact alone was remarkable, but even more remarkable was how the 22-year-old approached the game. Vincent Kompany himself was surprised by the physical level of his player afterwards
„After 45 minutes, he actually looked really fresh. I was really surprised that he could do that,“ explained the Bayern coach on Friday at the press conference ahead of the clash against HSV. Musiala not only impressed in the first half, but also performed at a high physical level. „I knew from the feeling that he played a good first half. Then I looked at the data and saw that it was 45 minutes at a high physical level.“
But this was precisely the crux of the matter, as the picture changed noticeably after the break. Kompany described the situation with a grin, but also with a great deal of respect for his player. „But he couldn’t go on after that,“ said the Belgian openly. The logical consequence would have been an early change – but Kompany made a conscious decision not to
„He carried on even though he was already dead“
This decision was to pay off. Although Musiala was at his physical limit, he stayed on the pitch for the time being – and delivered. „He carried on for those 15 minutes even though he was already dead and then he scored the goal. That’s also a quality,“ revealed Kompany. In the 58th minute, Musiala completed a spectacular attack from an acute angle to make it 1:0 – a goal with enormous symbolic power
Just four minutes after his goal, Kompany finally took his playmaker off the pitch. The plan was clear: Musiala should go beyond his comfort zone, but not be used beyond it. Kompany described this balancing act as part of the development process. After his comeback into the starting eleven, Musiala was „one step further“, the coach emphasised
At the same time, he deliberately curbed expectations. „Does that mean that Jamal can now play every three days? Probably not,“ Kompany clarified. Stress management remains a key issue, especially after such a long break
Careful handling of Musiala
With this in mind, it is quite possible that Musiala will initially be back on the bench for the upcoming Bundesliga match against Hamburger SV. Serge Gnabry and Michael Olise are considered candidates for the starting eleven. FC Bayern do not want to take any risks – even though Musiala impressively showed how important he is for the attacking play with his performance in Eindhoven
It has been a long road back. Musiala suffered a fractured fibula in the Club World Cup quarter-final against Paris Saint-Germain last July and was out for around six months. His first minutes came as a substitute against RB Leipzig and FC Augsburg. His appearance in Eindhoven was the first real statement since his return – both athletically and mentally.