Kompany dismisses fixture congestion concerns ahead of Bayern-Leverkusen clash

Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich’s busy schedule should have no impact on their performance in Saturday’s clash with champions Bayer Leverkusen.

That is according to Vincent Kompany, who wants no excuses ahead of the contest with Xabi Alonso’s side.

Bayern beat Celtic 2-1 in Glasgow on Wednesday in the first leg of their Champions League play-off for a spot in the round of 16.

The second leg on Tuesday is just three days after their game at Leverkusen.

But Kompany does not think the fixture congestion will impact his team.

“That shouldn’t play a role, but it could play a role,” Kompany told reporters.

“We are used to that, we are mentally there.

“We have the squad for that, we have almost no injuries at the moment. That is why we will not say that the game isn’t coming at the right moment.”

“Hopefully, nothing will change in the squad compared to the last match. The injured players are not far from returning to training. We expect João Palhinha back first, then Alphonso Davies, and finally Daniel Peretz.”… pic.twitter.com/Wv9Z3ErpAt

— FC Bayern (@FCBayernEN) February 14, 2025

Bayern are eight points clear of second-placed Leverkusen, and victory would open up an 11-point gap with 12 league games remaining.

Leverkusen will be somewhat fresher, having not needed a Champions League play-off after qualifying automatically for the last 16.

“The game is of interest to a lot of people. You have to remember that in the last 18 months they only lost once in the league. That shows how well they’re working. We want to be one of the teams that win there,” Kompany said.

“You never know exactly 100% what to expect against Leverkusen. We know the intensity and quality will be high.

“Our aim is to win this game and if it works then it will be a good weekend.”

Alonso is the first Bundesliga coach to go unbeaten in his first five competitive games against Bayern (W3, D2). The Spaniard has the best points-per-game average in league history of any non-Bayern coach (2.23).

Kompany, however, currently boasts the highest points-per-game average in Bundesliga history (2.57).