Neuer optimistic after early showings of Kompany era at Bayern

Bayern Munich continue their preparations for the 2024/25 Bundesliga season and captain Manuel Neuer is fairly optimistic regarding what is to come under Vincent Kompany.

The 38-year-old goalkeeper discussed what has changed under the new manager in an exclusive interview with t-online. To him, the early showings under Kompany point to success.

“We’ve already seen some of the ideas of the new coach on the pitch. We had good positioning and tried to keep the passing lanes short. We kept a clean sheet [against Ulm in the DFB Pokal] and didn’t concede chances. That’s why I have a good feeling,” said Neuer. “Things have worked well in terms of communication, body language and defending overall.”

“You never really know where you stand before the first competitive game. But a comfortable win in which we were dominant from the start and continued to the end was what we set out to do. And we fulfilled that expectation.”

According to Neuer, Bayern’s defence is something that has adjusted under Kompany. The club notably conceded 45 goals in 34 Bundesliga goals last season.

“I think we can be flexible in defence, we can play with three or four players at the back,” he added.

“Especially now that we have a more man-to-man approach, we will sometimes have the same numbers at the back as the opponent. And I will also have a slightly different role. I will have to stand higher up the pitch and run off the ball.”

Bayern look to steal the Bundesliga title back from Bayer Leverkusen and kick off their season opener with a trip to Wolfsburg on 25 August.