Ahead of Pafos clash: Kompany calls for full focus | OneFootball

After the commanding 4:0 victory over Werder Bremen, FC Bayern's focus shifts to the Champions League. Two weeks after the 3:1 opening win against FC Chelsea, the German record champions will play at FC Pafos on Tuesday evening. Coach Vincent Kompany faced the press ahead of the match - showing great respect for the Cypriot champions.

For Kompany, it's clear: Even though the Munich team is the clear favorite to travel to Cyprus, the task is by no means a walk in the park. "For us, it's just a normal game, it's the Champions League. That always brings a special feeling with great respect for the opponent - it was not an easy path for them into the Champions League. They have already played seven games to date and haven't lost any - we know what's coming. And yet we have full confidence that we can take the three points - and that's our goal," the 39-year-old emphasized at the pre-match press conference on Monday evening.

Kompany even made comparisons to the Club World Cup: "There you also play against opponents you don't often meet, where you have to study everything all over again and have little information. We've done all that - and we've seen how much emotions also play a role. They will keep life in this game, but it's also great fun to get to know new teams."

Kompany knows the history of the opponent

Photo: IMAGO | Photo: IMAGO,

Kompany was particularly impressed by the development of Pafos FC: "It's my job to know Pafos, the history of the club and everything else. I know where the club comes from, what journey it has been on: It's a young club, a merger of two clubs in 2014. Very successful in recent years, Conference League up to the round of 16 against Djurgardens, this year against Maccabi, Kiev, Olympiakos and Red Star - those are tough games."

Kompany also sees quality in the personnel: "They have a good pace forward, are dangerous in transition. Some players I know, they should not be underestimated. The coach has spent over 700 games under Unai Emery - he is experienced. They are strong defensively, but also structured in the offense, a good mix of short balls, long balls and aggressive play on second balls."

"We are prepared"

Despite all the respect, Kompany left no doubt about Bayern's claim: "We are used to playing against teams that think about how they can beat us - but we do that too. The public can underestimate them - we don't."

So the course is clear: After the successful start against Chelsea, Bayern now also wants to make a good start away. The kick-off in Cyprus is tonight at 9 pm (live on Prime Video).

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇩🇪 here.