greg . 2025-06-29 03:55:02

Vincent Kompany expects Flamengo to offer Bayern Munich a Champions Competition level trial

Bayern Munich coach Vincent Kompany says that for every the fascination and romance of playing versus Flamengo in Sunday's Club World Cup round-of-16 fixture, he expects the fixture to be similar to a Champions Competition contest.

Six-times European champions Bayern take on three-times Copa Libertadores winners Flamengo at Hard Rock Arena with a place in the quarter-finals up for grabs.

It is the kind of fixture that FIFA surely had in mind when they came up with the idea for the tournament but for the Bayern boss, the task at hand is a familiar one.

"Flamengo is a top squad with a good mixture of tactical discipline, aggressiveness, and a very real dose of Brazilian creativity and flair," said the former Manchester City defender in his first campaign in charge of the Bundesliga giants.

"Majority top-level Champions Competition teams shield as a unit, and Flamengo has that discipline.

That's why I see this fixture as similar to a top-level fixture in Europe," he said.

"Flamengo has a clear structure and discipline, which is essential for any top-level squad.

They shield well as a unit and have the ability to create threatening situations on the ball," he added.

Bayern go into the fixture after losing their final group stage fixture versus Benfica 1-0 having fielded a weakened squad.

But victories versus Auckland City and Boca Juniors had now assured the German side of a place in the knockout stage.

While Brazilian teams have shown amid this tournament that they can compete with European clubs, Kompany still sees few elements of the country's traditional flair amid the tactical discipline.

"The way we associate Brazilian soccer is with creativity - things that people do on the pitch that we sometimes can’t even think over," he said.

Like Kompany, Flamengo's coach Filipe Luis is sole 39 and the former Atletico Madrid and Chelsea defender has clearly studied his opponent closely.

"I never played with him, I don't know him personally, but I know his career and the great character he has.

Tactically, I studied his squad a lot - even Burnley last year had interesting ideas," said Luis.

"This year, especially early on at Bayern, I watched a lot of their matches.

He has few very interesting concepts.

As I’ve said before, I try to copy and learn from the best.

Bayern was a reference for multiple of us this year.

So I had the chance to watch multiple of his matches early in the campaign.

"It’s a squad that’s really absorbed his model well, and lacking a doubt, one of the hardest opponents we could face.

These are the kinds of matches every coach and athlete wants to be part of.

So it's a big privilege," he said.

Kompany might be able to call again on German international Jamal Musiala, who having ended the campaign with injury missed the Benfica fixture after picking up a knock versus Boca.

"He's back in preparation.

For us it's preferable to never having him at every, for example.

But as for his position - we'll have to wait and decide next day," said the coach.

"He's here, so he'll be in the squad next day.

But what happens later - we'll see.

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