Kompany: Late Goals Could Decide Top 8 in the Champions League

Bayern Munich have secured a place in the knockout stages of the UEFA Champions League, regardless of the result in Wednesday’s match against Slovan Bratislava. However, Bayern manager Vincent Kompany still hopes his team can somehow finish the group stage among the top eight.

Bayern are currently 15th in the standings after seven matches, just one point behind eighth-place Bayer Leverkusen. They will face Bratislava, who have lost all their matches in the tournament.

Finishing in the top eight will guarantee direct qualification to the Round of 16.

Kompany told reporters on Tuesday: “I tried to find a solution and lost my Sunday break because of it. I have a rough idea of what needs to happen. In the end… we need to focus on our match.”

Kompany said the possibility of qualification could depend on goals scored in the final minutes, as 18 matches will kick off simultaneously in the final round of the group stage, with goal difference potentially playing a role in determining final positions.

He added: “There won’t be a problem until very late in the match. If you need to score a goal at the end, you may have to take more risks. In the last minutes, it’s important to know your situation and what’s required to achieve something.”

Kompany said he sees value in the new Champions League format, but the group stage has not been the same for every team.

He explained: “It directly impacts your ability to compete. It’s not a criticism, it’s just something I think is worth considering after the tournament.”

The former Belgian defender also emphasized that Bayern would not underestimate Bratislava despite their poor record in the competition.

He noted: “Whatever comes our way, we will face it head-on. The opponent also has goals in this match. We respect them. We’re playing at home, it’s a special place for us, anything can happen here. I don’t want to add any more hype, but this is how we feel.”