'Today was the perfect moment': Kompany explains his major squad rotation

Vincent Kompany surprised in the Bundesliga top match against Bayer Leverkusen with a radical measure – and was impressively rewarded. Despite seven changes in the starting lineup, FC Bayern gave the Werkself no chance in their 3-0 victory.

With an eye on the Champions League duel against Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday, Kompany gave several key players a break – including Harry Kane , Luis Díaz, and Michael Olise . Yet even without the superstars, the German record champions delivered a dominant performance, especially in the first half.

At the press conference after the game, Kompany commented on his seemingly risky measure: “Of course, we are always better when Harry plays and is in top form. But today it felt like the other guys were also in good shape – and now we have a rested Harry. Everyone always asked me: When does Harry get a break? When does Lucho get a break? Today felt like the ideal time.”

The Belgian emphasized that all the stars showed understanding for the measure: “They are professionals, they all understand it. Whether it's Harry, Díaz, or Olise – they know the situation we are in.”

Kompany admitted that the courage to rotate also carries risks: “Many thought something could happen today. The opponent probably thought so too. But what was important for me was that we fought it with fire. Go full speed – and we did that in the first half. It is sometimes dangerous, but at some point, you have to do it, otherwise, you don't need to build a squad.”

With the confident victory against the recently strong Leverkusen team, Kompany's squad has impressively proven that the depth of Bayern's squad is a real asset this season. The coach's plan: rotate boldly, remain successful – and be in top shape against Paris.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇩🇪 here.