Kompany made seven changes to his starting lineup from the win against Koln as Bayern cruised to a 3-0 Bundesliga victory over Leverkusen on Saturday. The Bayern manager opted to rest key players such as Kane, Diaz and Olise, giving several squad members the opportunity to impress. Nicolas Jackson, Serge Gnabry and Tom Bischoff were among those who came into the starting XI, and all three played crucial roles in Bayern’s dominant performance.
The changes paid off handsomely as Bayern maintained their perfect start to the season. Gnabry opened the scoring with a composed finish following a swift counter-attack, before Jackson doubled the lead with a well-timed header between two defenders. The victory was sealed when Raphael Guerreiro’s dangerous cross was deflected into his own net by Leverkusen defender Loic Bade.
At his post-match press conference, Kompany said he felt the game against Leverkusen was the ideal moment to rotate the squad, given that Bayern face Paris Saint-Germain in a crucial Champions League fixture on Tuesday. “Of course we’re always better when Harry plays and is in top form," he said. "But today it felt like the other guys were also ready – and now we have a rested Harry. Everyone always asks me: When does Harry get a break? When does Lucho [Diaz] get a break? Today just felt like the ideal moment.
“Many thought something could go wrong today. The opponent probably thought that too. But for me, the important thing was to attack it with fire. It’s sometimes dangerous, but at some point, you have to do it, otherwise you don’t need to build a squad.”
The courage to make these changes was lauded by former Germany midfielder Matthaus, who applauded Kompany for the bravery he showed.