Get in the mood for Bayer and the Wiesn-Maß

For coach Kompany, the traditional duel in Bremen is “not a rehearsal” for the league summit against Leverkusen. But the mood in the far north is set – including for the planned Oktoberfest visit.

The Bavarian costume is ready at the Kompany house for celebrating and toasting at the Oktoberfest. In lederhosen, jacket and Haferl shoes, the Belgian, a fast two-meter-tall man, cuts a fine figure, as was shown when the Bayern footballers were dressed for the Oktoberfest, which begins in Munich this weekend.

And to ensure that the mood is right on Sunday when the record champions visit the beer tent, the Munich team will not let their lederhosen literally come off on Saturday (3.30 p.m./Sky) in the traditional duel at SV Werder. Vincent Kompany will toast the next victory and the successfully defended lead in the table with Thomas Müller and Co. at his Oktoberfest debut as Bayern coach; especially a week before the league summit against the new, big Bundesliga rivals Bayer 04 Leverkusen.

“The Oktoberfest is very important,” says Kompany, a new Munich player. And he is looking forward to “experiencing Bavarian culture” with his family. His players will even allow themselves a beer or two at lunch in the beer tent. “The main thing is that they are fit again on Monday,” joked Kompany on Friday, but he also announced: “We are looking forward to the Oktoberfest.” But in the next 24 hours it will be all about Werder.” The brilliant start to the season under his direction is definitely set to continue.

Four groundbreaking Oktoberfest tests

6:1 in Kiel, 9:2 against Zagreb – the football of Kompany’s Bayern is currently delighting the fans of the record champions and impressing the experts. During the Oktoberfest, however, the Munich team will face bigger, groundbreaking tests: in Bremen, against Bayer, in the Champions League at Aston Villa and finally again away in Frankfurt.

It should be seen how sustainable Kompany’s pressing football, which is fraught with defensive risks, will be as a successful model. “The idea of ​​how we want to play sounds really great,” said the Bayern coach. For him, it simply makes sense in order to be able to fully exploit the class of the squad – especially in the offensive around goal-guarantor Harry Kane. He does not want to speak of “luxury”, but rather “use the whole squad”.

For Müller, Kompany football is “a good deal”

The Bayern pros follow their boss – out of conviction. “In the future, we will score more goals from these pressing situations than we concede,” said Müller after the good example against Zagreb: “If you score five goals up front and concede one at the back because you are higher up, that is still a good deal.” So far, the Kompany deal has worked.

In Bremen too? Kompany remembers thrilling northern derbies from his time as a player at Hamburger SV. “But Bayern against Bremen is a traditional duel. “When I was a player in the Bundesliga, it was a top duel, a top game,” said the ex-pro. It’s not quite like that anymore, but the Weserstadion is always a place where the Bayern team can stumble. “Bayern are in good form, but so are we,” said Werder coach Ole Werner. Werder are also still unbeaten before the 4th matchday.

Since Bremen, like champions Leverkusen, plays with a three-man defense and offensive full-backs, it is also a good test for Bayern for the next home game against Bayer, right? No, no, Kompany said: “There is no test for a game in the Bundesliga.”

There is still a small question mark over Manuel Neuer’s participation. The goalkeeper injured his head well in front of his goal during a spectacular save against Zagreb and was substituted at half-time as a precaution. Kompany did not want to give the green light before the final training session, but said: “It looks good.”

© dpa-infocom, dpa:240920-930-238066/2