Despite his departure being all but confirmed, the written-off FC Bayern Munich star is suddenly making a compelling case for a spectacular U-turn

Saturday’s game fell just short of the record. To match FC Schalke 04’s 1980/81 mark, youngster Bastian Assomo would have had to make a substitute appearance against Mainz. Back then, Schalke handed top-flight debuts to eleven players under twenty; the current champions have reached only ten.

With three Bundesliga matches remaining—against Heidenheim, Wolfsburg and Cologne—the club still has a chance to match or even surpass the mark. What is clear is that, among Bayern coaches over the past 20 years, Kompany is the most eager to blood young talents and give them a chance to prove themselves in the first team.

On Saturday he handed midfielder Bara Sapoko his full debut. The 18-year-old Senegalese had previously appeared as a late substitute in the 5-0 win at FC St. Pauli two weeks ago, then earned a few minutes in the title-clinching victory over VfB Stuttgart before being entrusted with a starting spot in Mainz.

He had “earned” this privilege, Kompany emphasised before kick-off, stressing that a place in the first team is never a “gift”. You need real maturity to play in a game like this. It’s a big test for Sapoko, but for the other lads too. At some point, you have to go through it. You have to be there. Eventually, the right moment comes to bring them along.”

The move had been expected, given Bayern’s high regard for the teenager—Kompany is said to be a particular admirer—and his rapid integration into the first-team setup. “You could see he’s got incredible talent and is a great lad. He’s really grateful. He did a brilliant job today,” enthused Leon Goretzka after the St. Pauli match.

Against Mainz 05 that talent flickered through again, yet fortune was not on his side. Partnered by Aleksandar Pavlovic, the 18-year-old often looked uncomfortable against Mainz’s pressing trio of Paul Nebel, Nadiem Amiri and Kaishu Sano, and whenever the visitors accelerated on the break, Sapoko was clearly out of his depth. It was therefore no surprise that the Senegalese teenager looked exposed in the build-up to two of the goals. For the second, he lost possession in the build-up and then failed to win the tackle; for the third, a simple feint by Amiri on the edge of the box sent him tumbling to the turf.

One poor performance, especially against an in-form opponent, is not reason enough to question his long-term potential. That said, Kompany’s “Youth Research” approach still paid dividends: once Sapoko made way in the 77th minute, Bayern’s build-up play became crisper, better structured and, thanks to two late goals, ultimately more productive.

Nicolas Jackson has flown under the radar in recent weeks. Despite Bayern’s sporadic offensive struggles caused by the temporary absences of Lennart Karl, Serge Gnabry, Tom Bischof and Harry Kane, the Senegalese forward has quietly gone about his business with little fanfare in the media.

Yet there have been several opportunities to spotlight his progress, because the 24-year-old has recently delivered a series of strong performances. In the final, largely meaningless Bundesliga matches that Bayern had already won weeks ago, Jackson showed his reliability and consistency in front of goal, netting twice and providing one assist over the 180 minutes against St. Pauli and Stuttgart.

He started in Mainz as well, struggled to make an impact during a quiet first half, yet still set the tone after the break with a sharp first-time finish and linked up effectively with late introductions Michael Olise, Harry Kane and Jamal Musiala.

The narrative that he is a “Bayern flop” does not hold up under scrutiny. Across 29 matches, he has logged ten goals and four assists; at 1,151 minutes played, that works out to a goal every 115 minutes—or a goal contribution every 82—while operating primarily as Kane’s backup.

The quality of his finishes has also risen: earlier in the campaign he tended to strike only after Bayern were already three or four goals clear, yet he is now delivering decisive blows. Against Mainz he sparked the second-half fightback, and a week earlier he netted the crucial 2-1 against VfB during a scrappy phase.

It therefore comes as something of a surprise that several media outlets had already reported, with unusual certainty, that his departure was a done deal. The €65m buy-out clause is now impossible to trigger, since he has not reached the required 40 starts, and sporting director Max Eberl confirmed on ZDF Sportstudio that the negotiated buy-out option will also not be exercised.

Yet his future at parent club Chelsea appears equally uncertain, so why not open talks and negotiate a lower fee, especially since Kompany is a vocal supporter?

With Serge Gnabry sidelined for the long term, Bayern’s starting attack is all but decided for the remaining Champions League and DFB-Pokal fixtures. Harry Kane leads the line, while Luis Díaz and Michael Olise occupy the wings. In the No. 10 role recently held by Gnabry, Jamal Musiala is now the likely choice.

The 23-year-old is finding his rhythm after recovering from a fibula fracture suffered at last summer’s Club World Cup, and is edging closer to full sharpness. That timing suits Bayern perfectly, given the thin squad options. With Lennart Karl and Tom Bischof also sidelined, only Nicolas Jackson and Raphael Guerreiro remain as established back-ups.

That makes seamless understanding on the pitch all the more important. That fluidity was on display against Mainz. After entering as substitutes, Olise, Kane and Musiala sliced through the hosts’ defence with clever one-twos, sharp feints and incisive runs, turning a 0-3 half-time deficit into a 4-3 win.

That performance could serve as the ideal dress rehearsal for the looming clash with PSG. Although the French capital club operates at a far higher level than Mainz, the sharp interplay of the Bayern trio will still give the Parisians plenty to ponder.