Bavaria Celebrates Goal Fest After Days of Frustration — Kompany Injured

After two frustrating matches, FC Bayern stormed to the top of the standings even without the guidance of an injured Vincent Kompany from the sidelines. In the 6-1 (3-0) win over RB Leipzig, the Munich coach—who, according to the club, was “not quite fit”—sat on the bench for almost the entire game instead of standing in his usual coaching zone. But even from his unusual vantage point, he likely enjoyed the goal-scoring spectacle, with hat-trick hero Luis Díaz taking center stage. 

The 40-year-old watched as his stars, coming off two draws in which they had conceded five goals, ran riot at the expense of a harmless and helpless Leipzig side. Díaz (12th minute/47th/69th), Aleksandar Pavlovic (26th minute), Michael Olise (34th minute), and Harry Kane in an anniversary match (53rd minute) underscored the difference in class with their goals. Andrija Maksimovic (90+1) scored only a consolation goal for RB.

Bayern at the Top, at Least for One Night

The Munich team capitalized on Borussia Dortmund’s 0–0 draw at 1. FC Union Berlin and moved into first place in the standings—at least until SC Freiburg’s match on Sunday in Leverkusen. It was the perfect warm-up for Wednesday’s Champions League match against title contender Arsenal.

“We’ve always bounced back strongly from difficult situations,” Kompany said into the Sky microphone even before kickoff—and this was confirmed by Bayern’s spirited performance against the perfect opponent to build momentum. In the interview and during the warm embrace with Leipzig coach Martin Demichelis—with whom Kompany once played at Manchester City—there was still no sign of any physical discomfort.

Kompany “Not Quite Fit”

“He’s not quite fit, which is why he’s sitting a lot, and that’s why we discussed having our assistant coaches stand a bit more today. So, he’s feeling a bit under the weather, and he’s also a little banged up,” said sporting director Christoph Freund during halftime on Sky. However, Kompany participated normally in the locker room meeting; “everything’s fine so far.” At halftime, Kompany didn’t take the stairs down to the players’ tunnel but instead used an exit in the corner of the stadium. He was accompanied by team doctor Roland Schmidt and his friend and assistant, Rodyse Munienge.

On the sideline, assistant coach Aaron Danks mostly gave instructions for the offensive push. After Munich had fallen behind in Augsburg (2–2) after 8.4 seconds and in Stavanger (3–3) after 71 seconds, Díaz would have made a lightning-fast start this time in less than 120 seconds. RB goalkeeper Maarten Vandevoordt was still able to make the save. 

One-sided soccer at the Arena

The first scoring chance immediately set the tone for how the entire match would unfold in front of 75,000 spectators. The action was almost exclusively directed at Leipzig’s goal. In his 100th Bundesliga match, Kane once again shone as a playmaker. After halftime, England’s national team captain was then able to celebrate his own goal. His 102nd Bundesliga goal.

Munich’s beautifully crafted goals showcased plenty of flair and creativity. Take the 1-0 goal by Díaz, for example, when captain Joshua Kimmich lifted the ball over the Leipzig defense. Or on the 3-0 goal, when Kane set up Olise after a give-and-go. The Frenchman, who had faced criticism following his red card in Stavanger, shone once again as a goal scorer.

When will Neuer return?

Vandevoordt in the Leipzig goal repeatedly drew attention and was the visitors’ best player that evening. In contrast, Jonas Urbig had a fairly quiet game between the Munich posts, aside from the goal conceded in stoppage time. The 23-year-old once again filled in for Manuel Neuer. The 40-year-old had already missed the Champions League match following his blunder in Augsburg because he was feeling some discomfort in his foot. Will he be back in goal against Arsenal?