Kompany expecting emotions to be “an important factor” against Pafos

Here’s what the Bavarians’ coach had to say in the mixed room on Monday evening.

Bayern Munich have touched down in Cyprus ahead of their game with FC Pafos, but the fixture is far from a guaranteed win as Vincent Kompany explained in his press conference.

“It’s a completely normal game for us; it’s the Champions League. That always brings a special feeling, with big respect for the opponent – it hasn’t been an easy road for them to the Champions League.

“They’ve already played seven games to date and haven’t lost a single one – we know what to expect. And yet, we have full confidence that we can get the three points – and that’s our goal.

“It’s a bit like the Club World Cup: You play against opponents you don’t meet that often, where you have to search for everything from scratch and have little information beforehand. 

“Emotions will be an important factor tomorrow, too. They’ll keep this game alive – but it’s also a lot of fun getting to know new teams. But you always have to respect your opponents,” he said.

The Belgian went on to explain that his is placing his sole focus on fielding a strong team and getting a win. Additional factors like goal difference are not at the forefront of his mind. 

“I’ve never gone into a game where we say we want to score four or five goals today. No. We want to win here, even if only 1-0; that’s still a win.

“We have three games in nine days now, resting doesn’t mean we have to leave a player out completely,” Kompany explained.