For Bayern, the second leg against Inter is about everything. Trainer Vincent Kompany is confident – and his team was well attuned.
Julian Buhl reports from Milan
On Tuesday evening, Bavaria’s chief coach Vincent Kompany entered the time-honored Giuseppe-Mazza Stadium in the San Siro district of Milan. In that arena, in which he will play the quarter-final second leg of the Champions League on Wednesday evening (from 9 p.m. in the live ticker at T-Online) with FC Bayern, he gave his final press conference. The special environment in which he was in the stomach of the stadium did not leave the former world -class player and captain of Manchester City cold.
“It is not a normal stadium, it is one of the best stadiums in Europe,” said the Belgian and listed it in a row with Camp Nou (FC Barcelona) and the Estadio Santiago Bernabéu (Real Madrid). “It will be a special atmosphere. We believe in our players that they perform special achievements at these moments. In such games you can create special memories.”
Kompany himself still knows the home stadium of the two Milan clubs Inter and AC Milan as a player. With his iconic spiral cylinder rises, which wind on the outside of the spectator stands, apparently sprayed a very special spell on him at his first guest performance as head coach.
“Sometimes there are very special nights. Nights about individual moments. And in these moments you either have to defend well or score goals,” said the 39-year-old about his expectations of the biggest game of his young coaching career to date. “There is great anticipation for the game. It feels right. It plays the best team in Italy against the best in Germany. The numbers are saying at the moment.”
The German record champion has to catch up with a 1-2 out of the first leg on Wednesday evening in order to move into the semi -finals. This is anything but a matter of course against the defensive hosts who have only conceded three goals in the entire competition.
“We have to win. Faith is there. Hopefully we can experience a very special night. You have to do your work right from A to Z,” said Kompany. It is quite possible that the quarter -finals will only be decided after the regular 90 minutes, in extra time or in the penalty shootout.
Kompany said about this: “We have been practicing this in training for a few weeks now, actually since the first cup game. And it would not surprise me if the opponent does it too.” The prerequisites for a magical night in Milan are undoubtedly.