Kompany Explains Kane and Olise Absences in Bayern's Draw
Vincent Kompany insisted there was nothing mysterious about leaving Harry Kane and Michael Olise out of Bayern Munich’s starting XI in the goalless draw with Schalke – just cold logic.
The Bayern coach, speaking after the stalemate in the second round of the Bundesliga, underlined that both attackers were simply not ready to shoulder a full workload so soon after their breaks.
“It was simply a rational decision,” Kompany told reporters. “They came back very, very late from their break, and the Osnabrück match drained a lot of energy from them.”
The DFB-Pokal tie at Osnabrück, he stressed, had shaped his entire selection plan.
“The priority was for them to be available for it, because it was a German Cup tie,” he said. “Then I had to make a decision about today’s match. They are still not properly ready to bear a full physical load. It was a rational decision.”
No Kane from the start, no Olise from the start – and in the end, no goals for Bayern.
Bayern’s frustration, Schalke’s resistance
Kompany refused to pin the result on those absences. For him, this game had its own internal logic.
“Every match has its own story,” the Belgian said. “Unfortunately, today’s story was that we could not score. This does not detract from Schalke’s performance. They really fought hard and closed the spaces well.”
Schalke dug in, defended deep and denied Bayern the room they usually carve open with ease. The hosts pushed, the visitors held. The pattern barely shifted.
Yet Kompany was quick to highlight what he saw as a major plus: the way Bayern hunted the ball whenever they lost it.
“On the other hand, the counter-pressing we did today was exceptional, and we did not allow them to create any chances,” he pointed out. “We also created many clear chances against a compact defence, so there are positives too.”
Bayern’s structure worked, the press suffocated Schalke, and the chances came. The only thing missing was the finish.
Kompany did not dress it up.
“In the end, the result is what it is,” he concluded. “At Bayern Munich, you can only be happy if you win.”
The message was clear: the logic behind resting Kane and Olise may hold, the performance may offer comfort, but at this club, rational explanations never fully silence the questions when the scoreboard stays stuck on 0–0.
