Kompany: I won’t solve Real Madrid’s problems with Mbappé and Vinícius… and this is Kane’s stance

Kompany said during the pre-match press conference: “In matches like this, it’s important to have that first-time experience, and tomorrow will be my first time at the Santiago Bernabéu. My impression is that we have players with experience in these kinds of encounters. The match will be decided by tactics, but the details will be key, and we expect a Real Madrid side similar to the one that faced City.”

The Bayern coach described the venue, saying: “I think the Santiago Bernabéu is the toughest away ground to play at in this competition.”

On striker Harry Kane’s condition, Kompany explained: “The important thing is that he’s worked hard over the last few days, and I don’t think he’s lost his rhythm. Everyone is here except Sven Ulreich. We’ll wait until tomorrow, and as soon as we have the latest update we’ll make a decision. We have a very strong squad for the match, and the most important thing for us right now is that Kane is available.”

On the impact of the injury on Kane, Kompany added, “A muscle injury is different from a ligament injury. Harry knows how important this match is, and he must also tell us if he’s ready to play. We want and need to win this match, and we’ll see what happens tomorrow.”

On the possibility of his players picking up yellow cards that could affect the second leg, he said, “We must think first about performance but also about other aspects; yellow cards can come when the tempo is high.”

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When asked to compare Real Madrid’s strength with Mbappé and Vinícius playing together versus having just one of them, he replied: “That’s not my priority at all; we have enough problems at Bayern and it’s not our job to solve Real Madrid’s problems. All I can say is that both are amazing, and the rest is Real Madrid’s business.”

Kompany touched on the importance of mentality in these big games, explaining, “At times like this, you need to surround yourself with the right people. Everyone makes mistakes and that’s part of football, but life goes on no matter what happens now, and people are stronger when they don’t feel fear.”

When asked whether facing Madrid represented a defining moment in his career, he replied: “What is a defining moment? For example, going far with Belgium in a tournament. The important thing is that we are fully focused tomorrow. We want to show what we’re capable of and we’ll give it our all; quite simply, I want us to win and not feel afraid.”

On his tactical plan for the match, the manager said: “At this level, every team is dangerous. We don’t want to concede any goals and we want to score at least one. There’s no specific game plan against a team like Real Madrid; we have a lot to manage and I hope we have enough alternative solutions.”

Reflecting on the defeat against Inter Milan in 2025, Kompany said, “We must move forward, and that is why we are here today. The most important thing is to keep going; we want to beat one of the best teams in the world, and we must also learn from our exit last year. Against Inter at the time, we were missing nine players and it was a completely different situation; other things went wrong too. We’re in a very good position for tomorrow’s match and our best players are here, and we’ll do everything to win – every match is different.”

On Luis Díaz starting, he said: “I won’t talk about our line-up, but he brings a lot to the team. He knows how to dribble, create goals and shoot, but what makes him even more special is his mentality. He isn’t afraid of chaos and becomes dangerous in those situations, bringing great energy to the team. We can only congratulate the club on signing a player like him; he’s an excellent player for Bayern.”