Bayern target semi-finals as Kompany urges side to push through pain against Real

MUNICH: Bayern Munich coach Vincent Kompany said on Tuesday his team must be prepared to push themselves to the limit if they are to get past Real Madrid and book a place in the Champions League semi-finals.

Bayern carry a 2-1 advantage from the first leg in Madrid and only need to avoid defeat at home on Wednesday to move into the last four. Speaking ahead of the return fixture, Kompany said the contest would be decided not only by individual talent but also by the team’s collective resolve.

“It depends on many things. In games like this, the individual quality of the players is always decisive. But there’s also the collective intensity and a readiness to push through the pain barrier,” Kompany said.

He added that Bayern’s focus was on being fully ready for a match in which small margins could prove decisive. “Every detail matters in games like this, but for us what’s most important is that we’re mentally and physically well prepared.

“We’re also looking forward to the match and that’s something you need, positive emotions.”

Bayern were on top for long periods in the first leg at the Bernabeu, although veteran goalkeeper Manuel Neuer was still required to make several important saves. Kompany said his side had left Madrid feeling they could have produced even more despite the win.

“My feeling after the match was that we could have gone a level higher. And that’s pretty good when you win 2-1 at the Bernabeu and think, ‘We could have done more’,” Kompany added. “But then you need to show it.”

The Bayern coach also praised Michael Olise after the France winger impressed in the opening leg. Asked whether Olise was among the best players in the world, Kompany said the player was moving in that direction.

“For sure he will be one day,” Kompany said. “I think now he’s on the right path. He’s on a level of the best players in Europe at the moment.”

Kompany also commented on Marie-Louise Eta, who on Sunday became the first female coach of a men’s team in a top-five European league after being appointed Union Berlin boss. He described the development as significant for the game and for young girls considering coaching careers.

“It’s a key moment. It’s easy to minimise and say she’s just a coach like everybody else — and of course that’s how we have to treat her — but at the end it’s something special,” the Belgian said, adding that it opens possibilities for “little girls who are now playing football and thinking, ‘now, I can coach anywhere, I can make a real career in this game and be successful like what I’m seeing on TV’. Those stories, they’re really important.”

Arteta says Arsenal driven by pure fire

Meanwhile, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta said his players remain highly motivated as they prepare for their Champions League quarter-final second leg against Sporting Lisbon, with the club still in contention for two major honours despite injuries and recent disappointments.

Arsenal’s hopes of silverware were reduced to two competitions after defeats to Manchester City in the League Cup final and Championship side Southampton in the FA Cup quarter-finals. In the Premier League, Arsenal are top with 70 points from 32 matches, while the club is also chasing what Arteta said would be a first Champions League title and a first league crown in 22 years.

“What we are trying to achieve, it’s difficult, challenging, bumpy at times. It’s supposed to be like this. You have to confront it,” Arteta told reporters on Tuesday.

He said the scale of the challenge was clear from the club’s history in Europe. “We are trying to do something, in this competition, that hasn’t been done in the history of the club. That tells you the difficulty of that. It’s the first time that we are playing in the Champions League quarter-finals for third year in a row.

“If we want to go to the next step, for sure, we have to have more ambition than anyone else. We are doing it, and are very, very close.”

The London side take a 1-0 lead into the tie after losing 2-1 at home to Bournemouth. Arteta said he wanted to see complete commitment from everyone involved.

“We have no fear. Pure fire, that’s what I want to see from the players, the fans and myself,” Arteta said. “We are in April with an incredible opportunity ahead of us. Let’s go for it. We are putting everything into it.”

On team selection, the Spaniard did not provide a firm update on midfielder Declan Rice, who missed training. “We have to wait tomorrow morning to see how a few of the boys are and make the right decision,” Arteta said, adding, “I do not want to speak on what the situation is with Rice. Maybe one of Bukayo Saka or Jurrien Timber will return. We have to wait and see.”