While the focus often falls on the tactical battle, Kompany was keen to highlight that certain players possess the quality to break even the best-laid plans. When questioned about the prospect of facing both Vinicius and Kylian Mbappe together, the Belgian coach preferred to focus on the collective challenge rather than Madrid's internal selection dilemmas.
"At this level, every team is dangerous," Kompany explained. "Every team can create something special. You can concede a goal, but you can also score one. You can't have a game plan against Real Madrid that completely neutralizes their individual qualities. That's why everyone comes to these matches. But I also believe you can't completely eliminate our own qualities from the game.
"The most important thing is that you don't lose sight of what got you here in the first place. Tomorrow, we need total focus on the toughest match you can have in Europe, but we want to be 100 percent focused on how to win and how we want to win. I simply want us to win, and for the team to be fearless and show what they can do."