Michael Olise earns Kevin De Bruyne comparison from Vincent Kompany as Bayern Munich boss challenges star to 'make strides' after brilliant debut season

Bayern opened their Bundesliga title defence in emphatic fashion, thrashing RB Leipzig 6-0 at the Allianz Arena at the weekend. Among the standout performers was Olise, who netted twice in the first half, underlining his growing influence within Vincent Kompany’s side. His first goal came in the 27th minute to stamp Bayern’s authority, before a composed second strike in the 42nd effectively killed the contest before half-time. 

The French international Olise’s sparkling start to the season follows on his vital role in the Bavarian giants' title win last term. He scored a whopping 17 goals and registered 21 assists in all competitions in 2024-25 and followed up with three goals and two assists in the Club World Cup. Proving so prolific on both fronts has reminded coach Kompany of one of former Manchester City team-mate De Bruyne as he urged the 23-year-old to do even better in the current campaign.

Kompany praised Olise’s calmness while comparing him to De Bruyne, but also urged him to keep progressing. He said at a press conference: “Michael's numbers aren't my priority. But I do expect him to get better and make strides. I've also seen the development of such talents as a player, perhaps comparable to Kevin De Bruyne. What's important is what they do every day in training. I see total calm in him. Now he's won something, but that's in the past.”

Attention now shifts to the DFB-Pokal, where Bayern face third-division side Wehen Wiesbaden on Wednesday. Kompany has made clear that there will be no sweeping rotation, signalling respect for the underdogs and Bayern’s intent to claim every trophy available. 

"It's not about resting. We've started very well. If Leon Goretzka makes it through the final training session, he'll be there as usual," Kompany said. "Everyone from the weekend is here. I don't like the word rotation. We want to go to Berlin, we want to reach the final. I have the utmost respect for our opponents. I'll field a team that can win this game. Of course, we want everyone to stay fit and can't afford to do anything crazy."