Now Vincent Kompany Faces An Even Bigger Bayern Munich Challenge

It’s hard to know whether the FIFA Club World Cup represents a continuation of last season or the start of a new one.

Sure, new signings and jerseys are on display, and the event is being hosted in American venues better known for hosting pre-season games.

But, coming just weeks after the previous campaign and carrying the label 2025, there is also the sense that this is a hangover from last year.

For most clubs competing in the US, these details matter little; winning is the only thing that matters.

Chief among them is FC Bayern Munich, a soccer superpower that expects the German league at a bare minimum every year.

As sporting director Max Eberl said, “A Club World Cup like this is extraordinary. It’s very attractive in a sporting and financial sense. We’re going out there for on-field success.

He added: ”A title is always important because it’s for history and an indication that you’ve done a good job.”

Watching Bayern Munich at the Club World Cup, I can say that its strengths and weaknesses are indeed the same ones that were displayed last season.

The team remains capable of scintillating attacking play and often routs minnows, as we saw with the 10-0 demolition of Auckland City.

In more challenging games, however, the side often flatters to deceive and occasionally slips up, as a narrow 2-1 victory over Boca Juniors and 0-1 loss to Benfica showed.

A resounding 4-2 win over the impressive Flamengo demonstrated the attacking prowess and defensive difficulties that mean the German giants still have something to prove despite reclaiming the Bundesliga title last year.

“It was a hard game against a really strong side and in difficult conditions,” reflected Harry Kane after the game.

“We played well from the start, but every time we had the feeling we were pulling away, they fought back into it and made it tough for us, especially in the second half.

“That’s why the fourth goal was very important for us, to calm the nerves for the last 10 minutes.”

Awaiting them in the next round is the most challenging test: Champions League holders Paris Saint-Germain.

Kane remained confident even though the opponent’s standard rose substantially.

“It’s going to be another difficult match against PSG; they’ve had an unbelievable season.

“We already played against them this season and came out on top. We have to try to take the energy and the good feeling into this match.

“We know it’s going to be difficult, but we feel like we can beat anyone when we’re at our top level. We need to recover well now and prepare.”

Was League Glory Alone Enough?

Expectations at Bayern Munich aren’t like other clubs.

In the past decade, Bayern’s dominance of German domestic soccer has become so extreme that managers ceased to be judged on whether they delivered the Bundesliga and instead were rated on success in the Champions League.

But last year, for the first time in over 10 years, the club wasn’t the defending league champion.

Manager Vincent Kompany’s first target was to re-establish Bayern’s status as Germany’s number one side, which he did.

In the Champions League, however, the team struggled in the expanded group stage format and then were dumped out of the competition in the semi-finals by Inter Milan.

Many viewed the domestic glory as a return to business as usual, which, according to Max Eberl, was wrong.

“At the moment, I feel the season is still being viewed as a bit ‘too normal’ [from the outside],” the sporting director said.

“The feeling is that winning the Bundesliga is a given for FC Bayern.

“Last season, we didn’t live up to our expectations. This season, we distanced a very strong Leverkusen team. It’s pretty much the same Leverkusen team of last season.

“We’ve been top of the table since the third matchday, we’ve been very stable, and we’ve always responded very well to setbacks.

“It’s a special, important title. We knew the pressure was on in every game.

“In the Champions League, we beat PSG this season, the current finalists. And we played on equal terms against [Inter Milan].

“There’s still a little detail missing [to win the Champions League], but it’s not impossible. In the [DFB] Pokal, we dominated Leverkusen with 10 men for 70 minutes but were eliminated. There’s a different spirit this season; it was an important step. We’re hungry for more.”

Part of the reason why the campaign is not being lauded has been the inconsistent form in Europe.

As full-back Joshua Kimmich said in the aftermath of the defeat to Inter Milan in the Champions League, they were far from the best side.

“We were actually lucky to get this far with so many defeats,” Kimmich pointed out.

“Far too many defeats. We need to improve significantly in terms of efficiency and vulnerability, especially in the big games.”

Kimmich is one of the few remaining members of the last Bayern side to win the competition in 2020, so he is well-placed to discuss what is required for victory.

A test of whether Bayern is capable meets those requirements will come against PSG in the Club World Cup.