On October 3, Beijing time, the 2nd round of the Champions League stage is about to start, Bayern Munich will face Aston Villa. Before the match, Bayern manager Vincent Kompany was interviewed and shared his thoughts on the team's form, performance in the first match of the Champions League, Kane and Aston Villa.
Kompany said Bayern's entire squad is eager to bounce back after a title-less season. "Each of us has a lot of our own reasons to be motivated this season. As a player and coach, I've been through this myself. When you're on a team that's a perennial winner, sometimes the year after an injury is the best time for them to bounce back. The team, the club and I are hungry and we have to prove it on the pitch."
Speaking about the 9-2 win over Dinamo Zagreb in their opening game of the Champions League stage, Kompany admitted that despite the big win, there are still doubts. "It's Bayern Munich, so there are still 50% of people who have doubts about the two goals we conceded. Our standards are set very high and the bar is high. I like this environment and we quickly turned our attention from this game to the next one. The next game against Aston Villa is another chance for us to get on the main stage again."
Kompany emphasized that Bayern have players in their squad who are capable of creating a goal threat, not just the starters but the substitutes as well. "The club has ambitions at heart, so competing at this level without that depth in the squad is not an option. We still need to put the ball in the back of the net and hopefully we can continue to do that."
Kompany spoke highly of new signing Kane. "He played brilliantly. I certainly remember playing against him and those were great games. He has improved since I played against him. Seeing and witnessing the progress he's made over the years, I can understand his mentality and why he's become such a prolific scorer and leader. There are a lot of great years ahead for him."
Speaking about the upcoming match against Aston Villa, Kompany said that it is a super motivated team. "We all know how many quality teams there are in the Premier League and how much money is invested. To be in the top four in this league is a great achievement. For Aston Villa to experience their first Champions League night in a long time, Emery and his team made it happen. This team we're going to face has great players and coaches and it's always great for us to be able to play against these types of coaches and teams."
