Vincent Kompany emphasized that Bayern Munich’s DFB-Pokal second-round clash with Mainz is “just as important as a final,” as he looks to end their poor run in the competition, Soccernet.football reports.
Bayern have been knocked out in the second round in three of the last four tournaments. They were eliminated by Holstein Kiel, Borussia Monchengladbach, and Saarbrucken respectively.
The 20-time DFB-Pokal champions made it to the quarter-finals against Freiburg in the 2022/2023 season. This marking their best run since winning the competition against Bayer Leverkusen in 2020.
Wednesday’s match provides Bayern with a chance to improve their record, but Kompany acknowledged the challenge posed by Mainz.
“We cannot change the past,” Kompany told a press conference. “Now it is about what we can deliver tomorrow.
“That is where our entire focus is on. I have a lot of faith in the team.””In my mentality there is no ranking (of competitions),” Kompany added.
“It is always only about the next game. For us it is as important as a final because it is the next game and we want to win it and we will do everything to be successful.
“Mainz are strong in one-on-one (situations) and try to put pressure on with their compact game,” Kompany added.
“It is a Cup game and no easy task. It is important that we keep at it.”
The Bavarians bounced back to winning ways in the Bundesliga at the weekend with a 5-0 thrashing of Bochum after losing to Barcelona in the Champions League.
With the victory over Bochum, Bayern ensured they remained ahead of RB Leipzig on goal difference at the top of the Bundesliga table and Kompany was happy with the players’ response to their midweek humbling against Barca.
“We remained calm and worked on the details to get better,” Kompany said of his team’s efforts last week.
“That is the way it is now as well. Our goal is to take that next step.”
