What’s the situation with the league leaders ahead of the South Summit? We spoke with FCB fan Stefen about it.
With the Red Stripe: In the Bundesliga, Bayern comfortably sits in first place, but in the Champions League, they barely scraped through against Celtic. How satisfied are you with Bayern’s season so far?
Stefen: First place is anything but “comfortable,” and the season is far from over—even if Leverkusen are already acting like it is.
The interim verdict is mixed. It’s great that the defense has stabilized and that Kompany has improved individual players (Upa, Davies). But we are not yet a top team with Champions League final aspirations.
With an 8‑point lead and 11 games remaining, can we already congratulate Bayern on the title?
Absolutely not. Ask me again after the win against Brustring and Bayer’s match in Frankfurt 😉.
At the end of the Champions League season, the final will take place in Munich. How likely do you think a new #FinaleDahoam is?
With a lot of luck, we might make it to the next round. We are significantly better than last season in some areas, but we are still “not a top team” (Kimmich) if we struggle against Celtic or just defend for 90 minutes like we did against Leverkusen. And seriously, who’s supposed to beat Real and Liverpool?
How do you rate the new Champions League format?
It’s more entertaining because it’s new. But still—there are too many games.
At the start of the season, Vincent Kompany was laughed at as a temporary solution for Xabi Alonso or Sebastian Hoeneß. Has the Belgian managed to improve his reputation?
Yes. He has everyone on board and reportedly has almost the entire dressing room behind him, which is why an awful game like the one against Leverkusen didn’t hurt him. If Bayer hadn’t hit the post twice and Wirtz hadn’t missed so badly, the atmosphere would be completely different. Right now, luck is on our side.
Former VfB player Hiroki Ito is back from injury. How is he doing?
You can tell that his automatic movements aren’t quite there yet after so few minutes on the pitch, but that will come. I liked his performance. Can he win headers? Then he’ll score off a Pavlovic corner.
At home, Bayern has won every game except against Leverkusen, but away, they’ve “only” won seven games. What do you think causes this discrepancy?
It’s a noticeable difference, but we are still the strongest away team. Unfortunately, I can’t give you a reason for it.
What are Bayern’s strengths and weaknesses?
We still don’t have a solution against aggressively pressing opponents who can keep up the intensity and structure for 70–90 minutes. Without Kane, we are vulnerable—just like under Tuchel. Our mentality is usually strong, but not always (see Rotterdam and Celtic). So, it depends on the day’s form.
Kimmich will be missing, but Pavlovic has been rebuilt well and should shine today. The defense is largely stable but still allows some big chances. Will Manu be world-class again? Will you waste your best chances? Can the Brustringe shut down Olise? I’m curious.
What’s the current squad situation? Who will be missing?
Kimmich will be out, Peretz isn’t fully fit yet. Sané and Gnabry are on the rise, which will help us.
Finally, your prediction for the match?
Undav will score. But not often enough. 2–3. You’ll have to get your Champions League points elsewhere 😉.
Note: This interview was translated from German via ChatGPT
Picture: © Daniela Porcelli/Getty Images