Champions League holders Paris St Germain have every right to call themselves the best in Europe, Bayern Munich coach Vincent Kompany said ahead of a semi-final against the French team, but he wants his side to be able to do the same next season.
PSG boss Luis Enrique praised Bayern as Europe's most consistent side ahead of tonight's first leg in Paris (8pm Irish time) but said there was no team better than his European champions, and Kompany feels no need to dispute those claims.
"I think the title holders are always in the right to claim some things, but I hope next season I will be in the position to say the same," Kompany said.
"We fight for this title that PSG conquered already and they deserve all the praise, and when they see it that way then I don't have to add anything. But we want to be in that position and we want to have what they have."
Kompany's Bayern beat Luis Enrique's side in both this season's and last season's Champions League league phase, but lost when the teams met at the Club World Cup in July.
The Belgian was asked how his team would cope with the attacking quality of PSG, who boast the talents of Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Ousmane Dembele and Desire Doue.
Bayern Munich striker Harry Kane celebrates his goal against Real Madrid
Harry Kane celebrates a goal in Bayern's quarter-final first-leg win over Real Madrid
"I can give you another question. What are they going to do with our strikers? So it goes both ways," Kompany replied, with Bayern featuring Harry Kane, Luis Diaz and Michael Olise.
"Both teams are extremely creative, the position play, and also the one-on-one duels, and finding solutions in tight spaces. So there's no real secrets. It's about details. It's about intensity, about energy," he added.
"The only thing we have, and the advantage that we have, is that we've been playing against PSG quite a lot, but this is the same for them. They have to solve our problems as well."
Kompany will not be on the bench in Paris or in the dressing room as he serves a one-game ban after his third yellow card of the competition in Bayern's last game at home to Real Madrid.
"I'll be sitting somewhere in the stadium, not too far away from them (the team), but I don't know my way around this stadium that well yet," Kompany said.
"There's probably no manager with more experience of not sitting on the bench and still being the coach than me, as I began my coaching career as a player-manager.
"I'm not happy with the way I was suspended. I don't think it's fair. But, right now, it's simply about us solving this as a team, and we can do that."
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