Bayern Munich head coach Vincent Kompany has revealed that his side are aiming to finish on top of the revamped Champions League table despite their sluggish start to the tournament.
The Bavarians currently sit 17th in the 36-team Champions League standings, holding a playoff spot with six points from four matches.
Paris Saint-Germain, meanwhile, are at risk of elimination as they currently place 25th with just four points after being drawn into a tough group.
Ahead of this week’s fifth round of fixtures, Bayern stand a better chance of advancing to the last 16, whether via direct qualification or the playoffs. PSG, on the other hand, have a huge mountain to climb if they are to secure qualification.
Nevertheless, Kompany remains cautious, emphasizing the challenge posed by Luis Enrique’s side. “We are playing against one of Europe’s top clubs,” he said.
“They possess immense individual quality and a highly capable coach. Both teams will be eager for a win. Playing at home, this match is of critical importance to us.
“It’s a squad with incredible talent. The spaces between the lines are never big, the pressing is very aggressive and good.
“When they have the ball, they have a clear attacking approach. As a team, they are really very good.”
Although Kompany’s Bayern have suffered two defeats in their four Champions League matches this season, they remain unbeaten in the Bundesliga and have kept five consecutive clean sheets in the league and the Bavarian boss did not shy away from making his UCL objective clear.
“There are many teams in the competition that we haven’t seen yet. We often talk about finishing in the top eight… our goal is to finish top one,” the Belgian added.
The Bundesliga giants head into this one without 20-year-old defensive midfielder Aleksandar Pavlovic, who broke his collarbone in October. Kompany also offered some updates on the youngster’s progress.
“Aleks is not yet fully integrated into training. It is going well and quickly, but it will still take a little while,” he said.
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