Vincent Kompany: “They celebrated as if it were a relegation playoff”

Vincent Kompany likened Bayern Munich’s celebration at full-time in Mainz to relegation playoff scenes.

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Bayern Munich have managed to turn a three-goal half-time deficit for only the second time in their history with a 4-3 victory in Mainz. Vincent Kompany applauded his team’s response after the game as they repeated the fightback seen in Freiburg a few weeks ago.

“They celebrated as if it were a relegation playoff. I love that," Kompany said after assessing what was wrong in the first-half where Mainz thoroughly deserved to go 3-0 ahead.

"Everything went wrong in the first half, even though the first 20 minutes before Mainz's goal weren't so bad. We had a lot of possession, but couldn't get into their box. And they could've scored 4 or 5.

“There was no big analysis at half time. It was just about quality and mentality. The team accepted the fight and threw away any fear of injuries that were maybe holding them back.”

Kompany’s three substitutes – Michael Olise, Harry Kane, and Jamal Musiala – scored in a brutal performance by Bayern after the break. The Belgian coach admitted it was a planned move to introduce them irrespective of the result.

"It was planned. I don't want to just leave everyone on the bench or give them a vacation. Yet, at the same time, I don't want to take unnecessary risks,” said Kompany as he appreciated Olise’s standout moment.

"Michael (Olise) has set the bar high for himself, so I would've been disappointed if that didn't go in. But that's still absurd. It shouldn't be normal, but he made us get used to it."

On Tuesday, Bayern will face PSG away from home in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League semi-final tie.