Vincent Kompany says Bayern Munich 'fulfilled their mission' in Chelsea win and hails Manuel Neuer's 'insane' record as example for young stars

Bayern brushed aside their first major hurdle on the continental stage on Wednesday, as they beat world champions Chelsea 3-1 in front of a packed Allianz Arena in their Champions League opener. After the game, head coach Kompany was delighted with his team's performance and also lauded Neuer for bringing up his 100th win in Europe's premier club competition.

Speaking to reporters after the win, Kompany was effusive in his praise for his players, who put in a "solid performance." 

"In terms of performance, you'd have to be very, very good to win this game today," the Belgian stated. "It was extremely intense. I had that feeling from the field. But it was also fun. The boys not only fulfilled their mission, they also showed enthusiasm for the game and very deserved to win.

"The benchmark is always changing. Tottenham was already a test from England in preseason. Then Stuttgart – no easy task. Then Leipzig too. We've played against good teams, and today, of course, Chelsea. They won the Club World Cup. But the concentration was just very, very good today. And that actually allowed us to still play our game and simply deliver a very solid performance."

On Neuer's landmark win, Kompany added: "It's insane. But he remains a good example for us, too. He's very humble. He's also a great role model for so many of the boys. When I come in as a coach and say the boys have to work hard, the boys have to be a group, it's easier when someone like Manuel Neuer sets the example. If he does that, everyone has to do it."

Kane continued his red-hot form in front of goal on Tuesday by scoring a brace. The England captain must have been extra motivated, coming up against his former London derby rivals. The goals against the Blues were his 41st and 42nd goals in the Champions League, which put him in a completely different stratosphere compared to his compatriots. In the process, he also broke David Beckham's record of most direct goal contributions in the competition. Indeed, no other Englishman in history has been directly involved in as many goals as Kane (53). 

After a brilliant performance, the 32-year-old was substituted in stoppage time for Nicolas Jackson, who made his Champions League debut against the very team from which he had been loaned.

Kompany and Co. will take on Hoffenheim in their upcoming fixture in Bundesliga, scheduled to take place on Saturday at the PreZero Arena.