Vincent Kompany insists Saturday’s Bundesliga surrender to lowly Bochum has been forgotten as Bayern Munich switch their focus to the second leg of their Champions League last-16 tie at Bayer Leverkusen on Tuesday.
Bayern go into the game with a seemingly unassailable 3-0 lead but Kompany has good reason to brace himself for surprises after Bochum overturned a 2-0 deficit to win 3-2 in Munich, leaving the head coach admitting he was “angry”.
But Kompany insisted on Monday that the inquisition is over, adding: “There’s always a moment when you have to draw a conclusion to every defeat.
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“It’s really important not to take it into the next game. Of course you have to make sure you can rationalise it, but after that the only priority is the next game.”
Jonas Urbig will continue in goal after Manuel Neuer was injured during the first-leg win, while Joao Palhinha can also feature despite being sent off against Bochum as domestic suspensions do not count in Europe.
Kompany said he would resist the temptation to make wholesale changes in anticipation of a different approach from his counterpart Xabi Alonso.
“If you’re a coach at Bayern Munich it’s mentally a bit easier because the only thing you want is a victory,” added Kompany.
“We have to prepare for what we can prepare for, and believe 100 per cent in what we can do. It’s not only about what happens after the first goal of Leverkusen, but the first goal of Bayern.”
Meanwhile Alonso drew on the weekend’s shock results as an example of why his should should not be entirely written off.
“The first step is to believe,” said Alonso. “One hundred per cent of Bayern fans think they are through – I’m not sure many Bochum fans thought (they would win) when they were 2-0 down.
“Many unexpected things happen in football, and it could happen again tomorrow on our pitch… once the ball is rolling anything can happen.”
Alonso will be without star midfielder Florian Wirtz, who ruptured ankle ligaments during his side’s defeat by Werder Bremen at the weekend.
