HARRY KANE FURIOUS OVER PENALTIES AS BAYERN BARELY BEATS UNION BERLIN
Bayern Munich advanced in the DFB Pokal despite two controversial penalties. Harry Kane analyzes the hard-fought victory's importance for their season goals.
The Union Berlin versus Bayern Munich game was odd. Bayern went ahead twice, at 2-0 and 3-1, thanks to set pieces. But Union came back each time because of two questionable penalties. One was for a handball by Jonathan Tah. Harry Kane gave up the other when his elbow hit an opponent's head.
In the end, Bayern won, but just barely. For Kane, that’s what mattered most. @iMiaSanMia quoted Bayern's record signing as saying, I think this was the next step we needed. We control most games. But here, we had to show more character and unity. We did great. You could tell how important this was for our season by how we celebrated. We’re still competing in all three competitions this year. That helps build momentum.”
Even though Kane was glad to get past the DFB Pokal's 3rd round for the first time as a Bayern player, he did comment on Union's penalties: StadiumNest quoted Kane, “This win means a lot—we haven’t done well in this competition lately. You have to win games like this. Getting through games like this builds confidence. I don’t get the penalty decision when there are so many headers. It was tough. Honestly, both penalty calls were tough. Winning and staying in the competition is what’s most important.”
His teammates also seemed relieved to be moving on, though they didn't publicly disagree with the penalty calls.
KOMPANY'S IMPACT: SERGE GNABRY BACK TO TOP FORM, SET FOR NEW BAYERN DEAL
Serge Gnabry has regained top form under Vincent Kompany, scoring four and assisting five. He is now set to sign a two-year Bayern Munich contract extension despite taking a pay cut.
Vincent Kompany's work at Bayern Munich over the past year and a half has earned him praise across Europe. He brought stability to the team last season and helped them win the Bundesliga title again. The Belgian coach has also brought in an attractive style of play. It keeps the fans entertained while also getting the wins.
Besides the results and good football, Kompany has also managed to get the most out of players who were struggling before he got to Munich. Serge Gnabry is one player who fits this description. The German winger wasn't playing his best for a couple of months.
Gnabry was fighting for his place in Munich coming into this season, as he was in the last year of his contract. Now, four months into the new season, the German winger is close to a contract extension, having returned to top form under Kompany.
Florian Plettenberg from Sky Sports in Germany says Bayern is likely to offer Gnabry a two-year extension. The club is happy with how Gnabry has played this season. The player will need to take a pay cut to sign a new deal.
Serge Gnabry feels good after positive talks with Bayern.
Speaking to the media on Monday, Gnabry said he's had good talks with Bayern and isn't worried about his future.
If Bayern doesn’t extend his contract by the end of December, he can talk to other clubs about a free transfer in January. But Gnabry wants to stay in Munich, so he won’t be talking to other clubs during the winter transfer window. There was Premier League interest in Gnabry in the last two summer transfer windows.
Gnabry has scored four goals and has five assists in all competitions. He's done well in the number ten role behind Harry Kane. The team needed someone to step up after Jamal Musiala was injured during the Club World Cup in the summer, and Gnabry has been consistent in this role.
Looking forward, Gnabry might play less with Jamal Musiala back and Lennart Karl emerging. But his experience will be valuable for Bayern during a long season. With Gnabry willing to take a pay cut, giving him a new two-year deal would be a smart move by Bayern.
VINCENT KOMPANY WARNS BAYERN: SPORTING CP IS A COMPLETE TEAM, REQUIRES 100% EFFORT TO WIN UCL
Vincent Kompany praises Sporting CP as a "complete team" that defends well and counters quickly. He demands 100% effort from Bayern in the crucial UCL clash.
Vincent Kompany, Bayern Munich's coach, has watched Sporting CP's game film and knows they are a top team.
They're the kind of team that can cause Bayern Munich problems, so Kompany is going into the match with a lot of respect for them.
Kompany said, They are a complete team and defend very well. They're also dangerous on the counter. Their defence pushes up a lot. They pressed high against Benfica. They have good attacking players, and many with a great future. They are an exciting team. We have to be at 100%. Sporting are in the Champions League top eight for a good reason. The stats say maybe five wins and a draw would be enough, but I don’t want to think that way. We play at home tomorrow, and we’ve played two of our last three games here. If we win, we’ll be close to a top 8 spot, and things are looking good right now.”
Kompany has been rotating players more recently, but he won't explain his strategy in detail.
It depends on the players’ form or the opponent; it changes. I don’t talk about it much; it’s about trusting the guys. When we win, people talk about personnel, and that’s okay. I like that. "We have competition, and I like that," Kompany said. Manu (Neuer) will play tomorrow. But Jonas Urbig is a very good young German goalkeeper. Manu has played very well this season, but Jonas has gotten and will get his chances. He did well against Stuttgart. Everything is going according to plan.
I want to talk to Alphonso Davies again after this, but he might be in the squad tomorrow. If the game is close, which I expect against Sporting, he probably won’t play much. But he’ll probably get some time this week. Anything before Christmas is a bonus.”